Council Urged to Deem former Garda Station a Derelict Site

A Town Council has been urged to deem a local former Garda station as a derelict site so that it can take control of the structure and eventually hand it over as an arts centre.

The call came from Deputy Dick Roche at last Monday's meeting of Wicklow County Council when he said it is a crying shame that the former garda station on Church Street, which has been lying idle for the past 16 years, is not being earmarked as centre for wicklow arts.

The building became idle when the new station on Bachelor's Walk was opened. The Wicklow Arts Group had hoped that the former station would become a centre for its activities. However, it was announced recently that the gardai may need the Office of Public Works owned building as an extension to the existing station.

Many local people who have been supporting the idea of an having an arts centre sited there are now furious that suddenly the gardai want the building even though nothing has been done with the structure since it closed.

Deputy Roche said on Monday that the Town Council should `go after' the building under the derelict sites Act and then get on board the various arts groups to come up with a firm plan on how the building could be used.

He was supported by Councillor Jimmy O'Shaughnessy who said that the building is only going to wreck and ruin but could serve a real positive purpose as an arts centre.