Bank bond sought to address sewerage overflows

SECURING payment of a €145,258 bond from Bank of Ireland could be key to putting a permanent lid on sewerage overflows in an Ardnacrusha housing estate.

Residents in Lackyle Heights are becoming increasingly frustrated over the delay in resolving problems with a sewerage treatment plant serving the estate that were first highlighted to Clare County Council in November 2011.

The most recent overflow took place on Wednesday morning of last week, prompting  resident Sinead Madden to ask for another council clean-up after heavy rainfall.
“I think the overflow had stopped when I noticed but the residue was left behind. A clean-up was done around lunchtime,” she recalled.

The local authority, which insists it is not responsible for the wastewater treatment plant, has initiated a clean up each time an overflow has occurred.
Clare County Council has confirmed negotiations with Bank of Ireland are ongoing and the that it recently submitted additional information at the request of the bank to substantiate its claim on the bond. However, it isn’t in a position to state when these negotiations may be finally concluded.

Bernadette Haugh of Planning and Enterprise Development confirmed the council has not taken Ballyglass and Keelgrove Estates in charge.
Part of Lackyle Heights containing 22 houses was taken in charge by the council in 1998, the remaining seven houses, which are part of and adjoin the Lackyle Development have not been taken in charge.

Ms Haugh explained the council has not received a taking in charge application for Keelgrove/Ballyglass Estates. As neither development has been taken in charge, she noted responsibility for maintenance of roads and services rests with the developers, Keelgrove Construction, which is in receivership.

She pointed out the outcome of the council’s negotiations with the bank is critical to progressing issues in relation to this development.
“The council is dealing with over 180 estates in the county to which it has been assigning significant resources, to try to deal with a range of legacy issues that exist on these estates that are either unfinished, inadequately completed or not taken in charge and progress has been further complicated by liquidations, receiverships and other matters.

“The restraints on local authority financial resources to deal with the legacy of unfinished estates has been raised by elected representatives and has been communicated to the Department of the Environment,” she said.