The former Snowcream site pictured a number of years ago

Meeting told Moate Snowcream site sale being finalised

It was claimed at the January meeting of Athlone Moate Municipal District that the sale of one of the most strategic sites in Moate is currently being finalised.

The claim was made by Fianna Fail Cllr, Vinny McCormack in relation to the site of the former Snowcream plant on the Dublin Road, which was described at the meeting at being “in total decay.”

“I have reliable information that a sale on this site is being finalised at the moment,” said Cllr McCormack, while his Fine Gael colleague Cllr Tom Farrell said he had also been “led to believe” that a buyer had been found for the site.

Cllr Farrell raised the issue of the Snowcream site by way of motion and called for it to be placed on the Derelict Sites Register. “This iconic site is in total decay with overgrown trees, broken windows and a broken roof, and it is also being used for anti-social purposes,” he said.

Referring to the fact that upwards of 150 people had worked in the Snowcream plant when it was at full production, Cllr Farrell said it was “the key to unlocking the potential of Moate” and it was imperative that the council make every effort to clean up the area and develop the site.

“I think it would be worth investigating with the listed owners as to what stage the sale of this site is at,” said Cllr Vinny McCormack, who added that local councillors had been “pushing for a long number of years” to have some action in relation to the former dairy plant.

“It is a sin to see the Snowcream plant in its current condition,” declared Cllr John Dolan. “I know that there is an awful lot of anti-social behaviour going on there, and if this site is not on the Derelict Sites Register I want an explanation as to why it isn’t on it.”

Cllr Frankie Keena wanted to know how strong the Derelict Sites legislation is. “A lot of the owners of these sites are not a bit worried about having to pay a small levy,” he commented. The Council’s Director of Services, Barry Kehoe, said it was his “personal opinion” that the legislation is “outdated and in need of an overhaul” for it to be effective in forcing the owners of derelict sites to either develop or dispose of such sites.

With regard to the Snowcream site, Mr Kehoe described it as “a very important site for Moate” and said it had been privately owned “for decades.”

He confirmed that the site has not been placed on the Derelict Sites Register, but felt that perhaps adding it to the register “might motivate the owners to do something with it.”

However, he pointed to the fact that a number of buildings in Moate had been added to the Derelict Sites Register in the past and “little or no effort” had been made by their owners to develop them.

He said the council would assess the site to ascertain if it can be added to the Derelict Sites Register.

The Snowcream plant in Moate, which later became Dawn Dairies, opened in 1958 and continued to operate until 2001, and has lain idle ever since.