Willow Grove progress vital
VITAL progress is needed in ensuring Willow Grove is ‘ taken in charge’ by the local authority, councillors heard at the monthly meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District Committee.
Cllr. Maria Doyle tabled a motion for the February meeting, asking that Louth County Council ‘ proceed without delay with the taking in charge of Willow Grove.’
She said residents from the Carrick Road estate attended the meeting, ‘such is their exasperation at the lack of progress.’
Cllr. Doyle pointed to ‘serious issues that need to be addressed’ and highlighted essential roadworks.
Members were told that as part of the site resolution plan for the estate, Irish Water have agreed for LCC to have a CCTV survey of underground services carried out.
Senior Engineer Pat Finn told the meeting that this had been delayed, but the council were hoping it would soon be rescheduled.
‘Once it is completed it should be possible to take the estate in charge.’
But he added a warning that having the estate taken in charge was ‘not a guarantee’ that all of the works needed to bring the estate up to standard would be carried out.
Cllr. Doyle referred to a notice members received about additional funds being available for roadworks, some of which she hoped could be used to carry out repairs at Willow Grove.
‘ The fact that no bond exists, or is not available for this development is not the fault of residents.’
The meeting heard that it could take up to €250,000 to carry out all of the works at Willow Grove.
Cllr. Peter Savage added that the local authority should write to the department to seek special funding for carrying out the works at Willow Grove.
Cllr. Edel Corrigan asked if outstanding planning issues were taken into account when planning is granted for developments.
She said residents were not happy to be living in estates that were ‘not finished’ when developers were moving on to work on building new estates.
Cllr. Tomas Sharkey agreed, saying that individual applicants would be turned down for planning permission if they had outstanding planning issues.
Cllr. Conor Keelan highlighted the situation in Coulter Place, adding that there were ‘significant structural deficiencies.’ He said he would continue to raise the matter on behalf of residents, who were living with ‘deficient public infrastructure.’
The meeting heard that the developer is ‘still in situ’ in Coulter Place, and this would be the responsibility of the developer. But the local authority would look into the matter.
Cllr. Maria Doyle highlighted that the council had not applied for funds which were available last year for estates to be taken in charge.
She added that these funds were ‘not just for ghost estates; and could have been used for Willow Grove works.
Councillors were told that with the extensive costs estimated for Willow Grove repairs, there was a financial risk to the local authority.
Cllr. Tomas Sharkey said: ‘ We need to tell the government that residents of these estates should not be treated like third class citizens. We have already bailed out the banks who wrote these bonds for developers.’
He asked that a breakdown of the cost of works at Willow Grove should be provided to councillors.
Councillors undertook to provide the members with a costing for the works.