Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, has called on Wicklow County Council to intervene to protect the old La Touche Hotel building in Greystones which she points out is a listed building.

She says that the building is now in a state of disrepair with windows broken and boarded up and acts of vandalism being carried out on a regular basis. “Indeed just recently a small fire broke out in the building” she says. “Unfortunately all too often this is the fate of listed buildings that are bought by development interests. The Woodlands Hotel in Greystones suffered the same fate and now there are modern apartments in its place”.

The Green councillor says that Wicklow County Council has a responsibility as the planning authority to ensure that the current owners of the La Touche Hotel properly maintain the listed façade of the building and the internal features which are listed such as the staircase. “This building is an important part of the social and cultural heritage of Greystones and is over 100 years old” says de Burca. “It is really appalling to see it fall into a total state of disrepair when this could be avoided. I believe the council has a responsibility to liaise with the current owners to ensure that they are properly maintaining the building as is required under the legislation”.

Cllr de Burca says she will be raising this issue on Wicklow County Council and looking for support from other councillors, particularly the Greystones councillors, with regard to the proper preservation of the building. “We will not be thanked if we stand idly by while this lovely historic building is destroyed” says de Burca. “The council must take action now”.