The owner of the Grand Hotel in Tramore has been granted more time to carry out work at the derelict site in the town.
The case was briefly mentioned before being adjourned again at Waterford District Court this morning (Monday).
The hotel, which has lain vacant for the past seven years, has been at the centre of legal proceedings after the owners were served a derelict sites notice by Waterford City and County Council (WCCC) in 2018.
Local independent councillor Joe Conway who has been attending the court hearings describes what happened today:
"It was the same old two-and-fourpence from the Council’s solicitor – the majority of the required works have been done, but some are incomplete. The owners would like a further period of weeks to effect these."
Painting work on the exterior of the hotel has been carried out in the past week, Cllr Conway said "what has been done since the last Court date could be charitably described as cosmetic":
"Anybody with a pair of eyes in their head can see that the owners are toying with the enforcement regimen of WCCC – certainly, the people of Tramore are unimpressed. They see what is left of the former hotel as a grotesque, degrading pile – it is the pig-and-lipstick scenario.
"And with Mr. Wu’s many concerns gone into receivership, there is scepticism that he will do what is necessary to rehabilitate the building. It would appear that he has much bigger fish to fry in the UK and Hong Kong.
"Meanwhile, we pay out millions to rejuvenate the Town Centre – but all the while have to endure a cavalier attitude from the owner who would appear to have little respect for the town, its people… or its Council, for that matter."
The case has been listed to be heard again on January 24th 2022.
