Beechpark residents left ‘in a limbo’, claim councillors

RESIDENTS of the Beechpark housing estate have been left “in a limbo” waiting for the development to be taken over by Clare County Council, it has been claimed.
At this week’s meeting of Ennis West Electoral Area councillors, both councillors James Breen and Tony Mulqueen urged that the local authority take over the estate.
According to Councillor Breen, the council have drawn down the bond on the housing development. Councillor Mulqueen criticised the amount of money spent on nearby Traveller accommodation, while Beechpark has yet to be taken over by the council.
“These people are paying their household charges and they are not getting services, while across the road, there is a halting site costing huge money,” he said.
Councillor Breen told the meeting, “I am led to believe that the bond was drawn down a long time ago by Clare County Council. The housing estate has been left in a limbo, I see no reason why no steps have been taken to finish and take over the Beech Park housing estate.”
In response to Councillor Breen’s motion, Helen Quinn, senior executive planner, commented, “A review of the bond data base has been carried out and there is no record of a bond having been drawn for this development. The planning authority are currently reviewing all planning applications that relate to this development to establish if a bond was attached to any element of the site.
“From the planning files that have been reviewed thus far, which includes the original applications dating back to 1976 and 1977, it is noted that no bond conditions were attached. It is noted that conditions were attached re: the payment of contributions towards the expenditure being incurred by the council in improving the public water supply in the area to facilitate the development.
“However, it is also noted that the majority of houses appear to have been developed by each individual owner as opposed to a developer. The development is not therefore a development in a conventional sense but a group of individual houses developed by owners of individual sites. The council will examine the history further to ascertain what is the appropriate course of action.”
This was echoed in her response to Councillor Mulqueen, where it was also stated a letter from the residents’ association in the development was received by the planning authority on August 3, 2012 requesting the local authority take over maintenance of lighting, roadways, footpaths and water supply.
Councillor Mulqueen was also critical of the NRA, who he said failed to carry out repairs on the entrance to the estate following work on the Western Relief Road.
Director of services with Clare County Council and Ennis Town manager Ger Dollard told the meeting the council needs to look back at the original planning applications for the site.
He added, “You would expect some maintenance issues with an estate of this age. This is an issue coming up across the country and what is driving it is that people are paying their household charges and septic tank charges and they are beginning to ask if they are paying for this then why aren’t the council providing services to them. Paying these charges is forcing people in estates that we haven’t maintained before to think about why the county council is not providing services. This is an issue that will need to be addressed.”
He added that before taking an estate in charge, the council would usually go to the developer but he acknowledged that after more than 35 years, this might not be possible.
He concluded by saying, “There is a job of work to be done.”
It was also agreed that the NRA would be contacted in relation to the estate entrance.