CLARE COUNTY Council is set to net up to €300,000 for a site containing a dilapidated toilet block with "uninterrupted sea views" of the Atlantic Ocean in Lahinch at public auction next month.
This follows the local authority formally putting up for sale what auctioneers Costelloe Estate Agents describe as a "stunning seaside development opportunity".
The site - which contains the disused toilet block - is located on Lahinch's promenade and measures 290sq m (3,122sq ft). It has 23m (75ft) of frontage on to the promenade. The auction takes place at 3pm at the Old Ground Hotel on June 20th.
According to the auctioneers, the site is zoned "other settlement land" and is ideal for a mixed residential or commercial scheme.
The proposal to sell the toilet block site was first mooted in July 2006, but delays in obtaining title on the site delayed the sale.
Cllr Martin Conway (FG) said the delay would cost the council. "We are now experiencing a downturn in the property market and the council has missed the boat in receiving anything up to €400,000 for the site because of the delay in obtaining title. Now, it should be something between €250,000 and €300,000."
The sale proceeds are to go towards the redevelopment of Lahinch promenade and Cllr Conway said: "I would cautiously welcome the proposed sale, but there has been foot-dragging on the redevelopment of the prom and that is completely unacceptable. It was first talked about in spring 2006, but little has happened on the ground since."
He added: "Lahinch is the poor relation in Clare when it comes to investment. It is the jewel in the crown in north Clare, and that wrong of little or no investment has to be righted now. There has been a lot of take from Lahinch, but no giving back."
A council spokeswoman denied the council was at fault for the delay. "It takes a length of time to secure title," she said.
Meanwhile, work on the new €234,000 lifeguard station for Lahinch is expected to be completed by early July, and consultation continues with 10 local groups on the redevelopment of the promenade. The spokeswoman was unable to indicate how much the scheme would cost but said some elements would be in place for the 2009 summer season.
