People used to paying rent and doing other business in Mallow Town Hall will soon have to travel to the County Council offices in Annabella, after staff were told last week that they will be moving to Annabella. The move was described by Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald as “a retrograde step”, while Cllr Melissa Mullane said it would “take another bit of life out of the town”.
Prior to the abolition of the Town Council earlier this year, a number of staff moved to the council offices in Annabella, and it was announced that people could still use the Town Hall to pay rent and rates, but last week these staff were informed that they will be relocating to Annabella. When the last of the council staff have moved, the only offices in the building will be those used for the tourist office and RAPID. It is expected that the tourist office will relocate to the former council chamber. A time frame for the move has not been ann-ounced yet.
Cllr Melissa Mullane said that the decision to move had been made by the council executive, and councillors had not been informed of the plan. She said it was another example of the council centralising everything in Annabella, and added that the council was “putting people last”.
“A lot of older people use the Town Hall, and it’s ridiculous to move to Annabella. There’s no need for it,” she said.
Cllr Dan Joe Fitzgerald wanted to know what plans council manage-ment have for the Town Hall, given that about €500,000 was spent recently on replacing the roof and carrying out remedial works. “The Municipal Authority must ensure that it is kept open,” he said.