Calls for sale of historic Tipperary mill to be paused for community bid
A historic Tipperary mill and former council depot should be retained for community use rather than sold to another purchaser, a local councillor has said.
At the September meeting of Tipperary County Council, Labour Party councillor Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan tabled a motion calling on the council to pause the sale of Watergate Mill and the former council depot and yard at The Valley, Fethard.
He said the pause would allow the council to examine the interest of Fethard and Killusty Community Council in buying the property.
The property is currently up for sale with REA Stokes and Quirke for an asking price of €80,000. The agents say the site is being sold as a “development opportunity”, with “huge” potential, noting that the building is listed.
The site is currently zoned for amenity use and heritage, the agents said.
The Labour councillor said that the property should be used as a community, tourism and amenity space, rather than being sold to another purchaser.
Cllr Brennan said that the mill had been used as the council depot for many years, but that in recent times, it has fallen out of use.
The interior of one of the buildings on the site. © Daft.ie
“I’m not asking Tipperary County Council to hand over the property without proper consideration, nor am I arguing against sensible development, I’m asking that we do not take an irreversible decision,” he said.
“There is a credible community alternative to the sale, and that deserves examination. I want the council to halt this process long enough to engage with Fethard and Killusty Community Council and see if a community purchase or long-term lease can be made work,” he added.
Supporting Cllr Brennan's motion, Fine Gael councillor Mark Fitzgerald said the Fethard community was “very proactive” and would like to see the historic site retained for community use.
“We’ve seen in the past when community organisations have went down this process and taken buildings in charge and refurbished them, and I think when we have that sort of a community involved who are willing and have the knowledge of doing this, it’s positive,” he said.
However, the council said it would not pause the sale process, but would consider any expression of interest from the community group alongside other potential purchasers.
Eamon Lonergan, the council’s director of services for corporate affairs said that once an expression of interest is received, it can be considered along with any others they receive.
“We’ll consider it with all other expressions of interest, and while not pausing the process, if the council were to enter an agreement with them, there are strict governance and procedural rules,” he said.
Senior executive officer Ger Walsh added that offers must be made to the selling agent, and that offers would be brought before councillors for agreement further in the process.
The former depot was also once the home of the fire station in Fethard, and fronts onto the Clashawley River.