Premises vacated in Cork safety check

The Cork city manager, Mr Jack Higgins, has urged property owners in the city to ensure that their premises are safe following…

The Cork city manager, Mr Jack Higgins, has urged property owners in the city to ensure that their premises are safe following a survey of buildings after a fatal roof collapse in Washington Street 10 days ago.

"It is the legal responsibility of owners to ensure the safety of their buildings and we are particularly concerned that all owners of buildings have inspections carried out by professionally qualified experts", Mr Higgins said.

Ms Aoife Bell (20), from Kerry Pike, just outside Cork city, was fatally injured when the parapet of two adjoining buildings in Washington Street collapsed and showered masonry on to the pavement below.

Yesterday, Cork Corporation closed Washington Street to traffic for the second time in 10 days, as officials served notice on more property owners in the area to vacate their premises.

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Last week, the corporation served notice to vacate on the owners and occupiers of 10 properties in Washington Street. Similar notices were served on a further six premises in the area yesterday.

Among the affected buildings are drapers Mannix & Culhane's, at the corner of Washington Street and South Main Street, and a bar, hairdressing salon and nightclub on South Main Street.

Some of the latest premises to be served with notice to vacate have been deemed to be dangerous because of structural defects, while others have been vacated because they are close to dangerous buildings, the corporation said in a statement.

As a result of the notices to vacate, both Washington Street (from Grand Parade to the Courthouse junction at Cross Street) and South Main Street (from the Liberty Street junction to Washington Street) have been closed to traffic indefinitely.