End in sight for long-running Lismire ‘ghost
COUNCIL OFFICIAL PLEDGES WORKS WILL BE COMPLETED BY END OF YEAR estate’ saga
A SENIOR Cork County Council official has pledged that works to complete a controversial ghost estate in Lismire, once famously described as being “the worst in the country”, will be finally completed by the end of this year.
During the so called ‘Celtic Tiger’ permission was granted by Cork County Council planners for a development of almost 40 houses at the Lios Na Gréine estate.
However, shortly after construction work began in 2008 work halted on the development, with less than 10 houses complete and others left unfinished.
Locals subsequently waged a campaign to get the Council to take charge of the estate, with more than 300 people signing a petition in 2015 calling on the authority to take immediate action to address what Cllr Bernard Moynihan (FF), a vocal supporter of the campaign, described as the “terrible conditions” on the estate.
The petition pointed out the unfinished part of the estate was a serious health hazard with deep manholes and uncovered excavations and that the sewage system serving the estate was never finished.
It further pointed out the unfinished section of the estate was being used as a dumping ground, posing “a serious health risk” to residents.
Last May Cork County Council confirmed that approval had finally been granted for completion works at the estate though a €1.2 million grant allocation from the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government.
At the time a council spokesperson said the project would entail a plan of site remediation works, the completion of four vacant units and the demolition of unfinished houses to the rear of the estate, returning the area to a green space.
In a motion before the September meeting of the Kanturk/ Mallow municipal district committee Cllr Moynihan requested that officials give a timetable and completion date for the planned works.
“It is my understanding that everything is ready to go. I would like to know when workers will be on site and when the work will be completed,” he said.
In reply the senior executive officer Mary Hayes said she had been in contact with the council’s estates office who told her that the project was “progressing well”.
“It is anticipated that construction contracts will be signed off by the end of next week and I have been given an assurance that the works will commence shortly after and be fully completed by the end of the year,” said Ms Hayes.
The news, while welcome, clearly came as something of a surprise to Cllr Moynihan.
“It is fantastic that a senior Council official can confirm to us that the outstanding issues at this estate state will finally be fully resolved by the end of the year. I welcome this commitment and I know the people of Lismire will welcome it too” he said.
“That said, I will only believe it is happening when I see it with my own eyes,” he added.
Cllrs Gerard Murphy (FG) and Timmy Collins (Ind) also welcomed the news, with the latter saying he could see no reason why works could not be completed even sooner.
“Once the machines move in they could blow those houses to the ground within 15-minutes,” he said.