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€20,000 vandalism of Westbury sewerage system condemned


COUNCILLOR Pascal Fitzgerald has condemned vandals, who caused criminal damage to the main sewage treatment plant serving the sprawling Westbury Housing Estate.

It is believed a number of youths, who are not living in Westbury or Shannon Banks, burned the main electrical switchboard for the sewage treatment plant recently, which resulted in major blockages and malfunction.
Former foreman for McInerney Builders, Michael Maher, who is responsible for maintaining the sewage treatment plant for the receiver KPMG confirmed a new electrical control panel had to be purchased from abroad to replace the existing one, which was completely burned out.
Mr Maher said mobile pumps were brought into the estate as a temporary measure to try and keep blockages to a minimum while he was waiting for the new switchboard.
He urged people not to get involved in this type of wanton vandalism, which had resulted in huge inconvenience and foul smells for residents. The existing sewage pumps are working well over the last week since the installation of the new control panel.
Security fencing in the vicinity of the plant has been significantly improved, which Mr Maher hopes will prevent a repeat of the criminal damage.
He also acknowledged this general area had acted as a magnet for anti-social behaviour as it is cut off from the rest of the estate.
He confirmed a new connection would be made linking the sewerage scheme with the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme in the near future.
Describing this vandalism as “despicable”, Councillor Fitzgerald said it was very unfair on a large number of residents who had to put up with sewerage blockages.
Having received between 40 and 50 phone calls from residents, while he was on holidays, Councillor Fitzgerald said he contacted Mr Maher, who had done his best to try and provide a short-term and long-term solution.
The Labour councillor, who recently voiced concerns about unfinished estates at a Clare County Council meeting, noted Mr Maher provided a lot of valuable plant machinery for Shannon Banks residents to keep flood waters out of their homes during the December 2009 flooding free of charge.
Commenting on other issues in the estate, he confirmed he had raised a number of issues including public lighting, the sewerage system, roads and public lighting. He also set aside about €300 out of money collected by a local residents group to repair public lights if Airtricity had committed to carrying out this work.
Meanwhile, Councillor Cathal Crowe said he received confirmation that over 40 street lights in Westbury would be repaired by Airtricity, starting last Monday.
Last month, Councillor Crowe said he compiled, with the assistance of several local residents, a list of street lights within the estate that were not working. He forwarded this list to senior council officials and Airtricity engineers.
Councillor Crowe said he also arranged for a work crew to remove a blockage in the estate’s main sewer. The blockage had resulted in raw sewage backing up and surfacing on an avenue in the Paddocks section of the development. A number of hazardous potholes on the main distributor road through the estate were also repaired on that same day.
“It is often difficult to resolve issues in the Westbury estate. The estate has not yet been taken over by Clare County Council and liquidators, receivers and NAMA have jurisdiction over different parts of the estate.
“It is very frustrating for residents who paid the €100 household charge earlier this year but don’t yet receive services within their estate from the council. This situation must change and I am working closely with my council colleagues to ensure it does. I remain hopeful that the estate can be taken over by the council in the coming months,” he said.
A spokesperson for Clare County Council’s planning section stressed the council has been working hard in recent times to resolve issues relating to the Westbury development.
“The overall situation is complicated by the fact there are a number of developers involved who are now no longer in business. The council is currently dealing with the receiver appointed, the bond holder and their legal and technical representatives.
“While the overall arrangement is complex, the council is endeavouring to find a solution to enable this development be taken in charge by the local authority in the current year. The council are satisfied that progress is being made and that negotiations are moving satisfactorily at this point.
“In the interim, any urgent issues brought to the attention of the council are being addressed in conjunction with the receiver, bondholder and their representatives,” the spokesperson added.

 

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