Council urged to call in bonds

KILRUSH Town councillor Ian Lynch has demanded that both the local and county councils get tough on developers who have left local housing estates unfinished.

The former town mayor maintains that Kilrush Town Council, which has planning powers, should call in the bonds that were obtained during the planning stages of the unfinished estates in the town.

“I remind the owners and developers that the primary responsibility for ensuring public safety in unfinished developments is theirs. However, where urgent intervention is required, the funding of these necessary public safety works in unfinished developments requires the financial institutions, local authorities and the State to work together,” Councillor Lynch told The Clare Champion.

“At planning, either a cash or insurance bond was lodged with the local authority to act as security for the satisfactory completion of a housing development. This principally refers to the standard of roads, footpaths, sewers, water mains, drains, public lighting and open spaces. As many of the housing estates are substantially complete, this council must call in the securities to finish these estates,” Councillor Lynch maintained.

“Having met with some very active residents’ groups and discussed the problems they face, it is clear that some developers are doing all they can to assist but the companies are no longer in a financial position to complete the estates. Therefore, as a council, we must use the securities held by the local authority and arrange for immediate completion,” he stressed.

Councillor Lynch added that lighting issues are a serious concern in some Kilrush estates. “At planning stages, lighting was identified as very important for public and property safety. However, some estates have lighting columns in place for some time and still have no lighting provided. This is clearly in breach of the planning requirements. While the understanding may be that lighting will not fall under the council’s responsibility, until the estate is handed over, this council must take action to ensure personal and property safety by having lighting activated immediately,” he stated.

Councillor Lynch is adamant that Kilrush Town Council has to take some responsibility for the condition of some estates in the town.

“As a planning authority, I feel we have a duty to protect the standard of living of the residents within these estates. Unfinished roads, potholes and manholes are causing damage to cars, while there are also unfinished green areas and some people have the unsightly view of site fencing. This is not a standard of living that these residents were sold when they purchased their homes. Kilrush is extremely lucky not to be experiencing the level of unfinished estates that other towns throughout the country are experiencing but this does not mean this council can turn a blind eye to the living standards the people are experiencing in some estates,” he said.