Talks over 306 houses for Blessington Concern over derelict sites

COUNCILLOR Gerry O’Neill wants Wicklow County Council to engage in talks with Kildare County Council over 306 houses planned for Blessington.

The Independent Councillor has expressed concerns that, although the houses will be built in Blessington, ten per cent of the development will be offered as social housing to Kildare County Council because, technically, a portion of Blessington is located in Co Kildare.

Speaking at October’s meeting of Wicklow County Council, Cllr O’Neill said: ‘Construction of over 300 houses is due to start in Blessington in around three months time. These homes, despite being built in Blessington, are considered part of Kildare. I would ask for Wicklow County Council to discuss the ten per cent allocation of social housing with Kildare. There has only been one single bungalow built in Blessington over the past 12 years and we have 280 people on the housing waiting list. This development will avail of our services but the levies and property tax will go to Kildare.’

Wicklow County Council Chief Executive Frank Curran promised to take up the matter with his counterpart in Kildare County Council. WICKLOW County Council’s Chief Executive is to look into placing two vacant sites in Kilcoole on the Derelict Sites Register.

Cllr Tom Fortune raised the issue at the most recent meeting of Wicklow County Council, commenting that both properties are negatively impacting on the work carried out by Kilcoole Tidy Towns.

‘In Kilcoole, we have two derelict sites which have been sitting there for over ten years. Unfortunately, through no fault of the local Tidy Towns group, these two derelict sites are destroying all the Trojan work being carried out by the local Tidy Towns. I would like to see more focus on getting both these sites fixed,’ said Cllr Fortune.

Chief Executive Frank Curran said he would follow up on both sites to see if they were suitable for inclusion on the Derelict Sites Register.