RALLYING CALL TO SAVE MITCHELSTOWN

A businessman’s campaign and appeal to everyone in Mitchelstown to press for urgent progress on the stalled waste treatment plant, has received support from a number of politicians.

As first reported in The Avondhu, businessman Denis McGrath said it was 'impossible to invest in the town as long as Irish Water stalled their work on the much needed upgrade'.

He has now written to Government ministers and senior politicians to find a way to force action on the issue and is calling on everyone in Mitchelstown to do the same in order to progress the matter.

“James O’Connor TD has rowed in behind us with support as had Sean Sherlock TD and Cllr Frank O’Flynn and Michael Healy-Rae are also supporting our effort with pledges to make high level contacts on our behalf. Don’t stop now, write that mail and show you care,” he urged locals.

In a letter to Minister Ryan, Mr McGrath said: “We have many developers with planning approval in the town but they are not allowed to commence until the waste water treatment plant is upgraded.”

“We feel the town is collapsing around us and fear we will not recover unless there is immediate action taken. The town waste water system has been at capacity for some years and house building cannot commence by order of Cork County Council.

“Since then we have gone backward with the original design for an upgrade, scrapped in place of a complete new plant. This new plant is going to require significant funding and we are now in a desperate situation for housing.

“Our schools and our businesses are suffering the loss of our young people to neighbouring towns. Bank of Ireland announced that they were closing their Mitchelstown branch, this will take more people out of the town and most likely to Fermoy, where the BoI branch will remain open,” he said, adding that the problems around planning being blocked from progressing, is causing ‘significant risks’ for businesses.

“We desperately need the funding and the support of your (Minister’s) office to get this done immediately. Even if we started the works today we are still looking at a year before it would be completed. We are losing a generation of young people and the town is dying,” he declared.

SUPPORT

Offering his support, Deputy Sean Sherlock expressed his frustration with the delay and said he recently was forced to go down the Freedom of Information route to obtain updates on the project.

“I’ve been following this issue since the election, which is over a year ago and even prior to that. I’m pretty frustrated by the lack of progress on this issue,” Deputy Sherlock said, pointing out thta such was the lack of explanations for the delays that he was forced to make a Freedom of Information request.

“I just want to reassure people that I’m not letting this decision go. I am going to pursue it for as long as I am absolutely able, and for as long as I have the mandate to do so.

“I’m devoting as much energy as I can possibly devote to ensuring that this vital piece of infrastructure is built so that people can progress, and so the commercial life and residential life can actually progress. I just want to assure people of that.”

The Avondhu previously discovered that the delays were caused by a change in the build that is required. Rather than a refurbishment, certain facilities will have to be completely replaced - thus causing problems for the funding to be released.