WOODLAND PK CLEAN UP HAS COST €680,000

The total cost of cleaning up and refurbishing Woodland Park escalated to over €680,000, latest figures have emerged.

Dundalk councillors queried the overall costs of cleaning up and refurbishing the halting site at the September meeting of the Municipal Committee.

The meeting heard that the original cost of the work was €557,000.

However, Louth County Council indicated they had sought further funding to complete the refurbishment.

The additional funds were granted by the department at the end of last week, bringing the total cost to €680,000.

Cllr. John McGahon spoke out against what he described as the ‘extortionate amount of money that has been spent on the Woodland Park site.’

‘ To date, €557,000 has been spent on Woodland Park, €240,000 of that was used to clean up 1,100 tons of domestic waste that was left behind and the remaining €317,000 has been spent on refurbishing the site.’

Cllr. McGahon added: ‘ This is the third time that taxpayer money has been used to clean up and refurbish the site in recent years and I don’t believe that having to constantly refurbish Woodland Park because of vandalism is a sufficient way to spend taxpayer money.’

He said there was ‘clear evidence of anti social behaviour coming from the Woodland site, which was affecting Louth County Council tenants in Muirhevnamor and it was being linked to anti social issues in Doolargy Ave.’

‘Louth County Council will have to protect this, their third investment with robust management, this will involve an external security company monitored the site along with the introduction of CCTV which again will both be a running cost incurred by Louth County Council in the running of the site.’