Wexford council to board up windows and doors at abandoned manor home
Wexford PeopleWexford County Council is to board up the windows and doors of an abandoned stately manor in an attempt to keep people out of the property during the winter months.
Vacant since 2008, Kerlogue House has fallen into acute disrepair in recent years with its once ornate interior littered with drug paraphernalia and rubbish. As recently as July, two caravans had been set up in the grounds of a property which was constructed in the late 19th century by a Mr Francis Boxwell.
The council has been taking measures to safeguard Kerlogue House as it continues to negotiate with the owner and, at the monthly meeting of the Wexford Borough District, senior engineer Lar Lett provided an update.
“Our planning enforcement team has been in dialogue with the owner, and we’re pressing ahead (with measures) because of the concerns we have about the building,” he said. “We are going to board up all the windows and doors and cover them with steel mesh cages, remove vegetation from the peripheral boundary wall, and ensure there are no hazards on the site.”
Having previously warned about WCC bearing the costs of any repairs works to the property, Councillor Biddy Walsh immediately asked where the funding for these works would come from.
“I want assurances that the eventual cost of this will be borne by the property owner,” she insisted.
“Planning enforcement will take the necessary steps,” said Mr Lett. “They will be informed of the need to recoup the costs.”