Council urged to source funding for repairs to iconic Spa House
THE future of one of Mallow’s landmark buildings has once again come under the spotlight after it emerged an application for EU funding to restore the Spa House was turned down.
The iconic Spa House, which had served as the council’s Energy Agency Office, has lain idle since 2011 when it was vacated due to excessive levels of radon gas.
Last year Cork County Council sought funding for three projects in Mallow under the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a scheme aimed at funding investment projects in regional urban centres.
While the council was successful in securing €1 million for the development of a regional arts centre at Mallow Town Hall, it was unable to get funding for the proposed boardwalk at Mallow Bridge and the refurbishment of the Spa House.
Local Sinn Fein councillor Melissa Mullane is now set to call on Cork County Council to set aside funding from its own coffers for the restoration of the Spa House “before it falls down and is lost forever.”
“To their credit the council has done a great job in maintaining the grounds of the Spa House, but with each passing year the condition of the building has gotten progressively worse and worse,” said Cllr Mullane.
“Something must to done to arrest this decline before the building literally falls down and is lost forever,” she said.
Cllr Mullane said that she was aware a report undertaken into the condition of the building in 2013 warned that remedial works on the Spa House would take what was described as a “substantial” amount of money.
“While I understand that the council has limited funding for such works at is disposal, simply allowing this magnificent building to fall into further disrepair would be unforgivable,” she said.
Cllr Mullane said she would raise the matter at the next meeting of the authority’s northern area committee.
“I will be seeking the support of my colleagues for a report into the condition of the Spa House, including a comprehensive break down of how much it will cost undertake repairs to the structure,” she said.
“If, as has been suggested in the past, the council can not come up with the money needed then we will have to look at alternative sources of securing the funding needed for the work,” said Cllr Mullane.
The district officer for the council’s Kanturk/Mallow area, Liz Donovan, told the Corkman that undertaking works at the Spa House was high on their priority list.
“While it my understanding that the building is structurally sound, necessary repairs and addressing the radon issue would cost in the region of €400,000,” said Ms Donovan.
However, she said that the Spa House was competing against other heritage projects from around the county for what funding was available from council’s coffers.
“We have looked at alternative funding streams for works to the Spa House in the past and will continue to do so in the future,” she added.