Thursday 14 August 2008

Building defects to force closure of centre

THE BALLYMUN Regional Youth Resource Centre building has been contaminated with pyrite, a substance that expands and causes cracks in walls and foundations when it comes in contact with water, the High Court was told yesterday.

Counsel for the centre Rossa Fanning said 38 staff were ready to move out of the building, which will be be closed to 700 young people who use it every week.

He told Mr Justice John Quirke staff were already packing up to allow testing and monitoring to establish the nature of defects to the building. This period of several months would be followed by a suggested six months of remedial works. Mr Fanning said that in the meantime, the centre would have to move to smaller and less suitable temporary accommodation.

He said Mr Justice Kelly had already granted an injunction restraining remedial works by the builder, James Elliott Construction, from taking place for six months while Irish Asphalt, the company alleged to have supplied aggregate containing the pyrite, carried out detailed tests.

Stephen Dowling, counsel for Irish Asphalt, Rosemount, Ballycoolin Road, Dublin, told the court his client was being sued by the Co Cavan-based James Elliot Construction group for damages.

The centre yesterday sought to be made a notice party to these proceedings and to be granted liberty to have Mr Justice Kelly's order set aside or varied. It claimed it could be confined to temporary, less suitable accommodation for up to a year if Judge Kelly's order was allowed to stand.

Mr Justice Quirke said common sense could be the answer. If experts and solicitors representing all parties applied their minds to a solution regarding tests, one could possibly be reached within a week.

He directed such a meeting take place and adjourned the centre's application until August 22nd.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

No comments: