Petition asks council to take over Westbury

THE long-running saga of the proposed takeover of the Westbury Housing Estate in South-East Clare by Clare County Council has been highlighted again by local Labour Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald, who has organised a petition for local residents.

Westbury, bordering on Limerick City, is the biggest housing estate in South-East Clare and Clare County Council promised several years ago that the estate would be taken in charge with the developers, McInerney Construction and Chieftain Construction, being relieved of their administrative responsibilities.
Repeated representations have been made by Councillor Fitzgerald at all council levels and Labour Party TD Jan O’Sullivan met with senior council officials a number of years ago and strongly put the case for a council takeover.
“The Labour Party felt it got a good hearing and that something would be done. All our pleas have gone unheeded and now four years have passed and still there is no movement,” said Councillor Fitzgerald.
The petition states, “For some time, the residents of Westbury have been treated as second-class citizens and denied the same level of attention that is afforded to other residents of County Clare in terms of county council service provision”.
Councillor Fitzgerald pointed out the current administrators of Westbury, McInerneys and Chieftain, have their own problems with the downturn in the construction industry and they are anxious to hand over the running of the estate to the council.
“I met with both developers and they felt that most of the issues had been resolved, such as footpaths, lighting and signage. They feel the council is dragging its feet on the matter.
“This petition I have organised is to show the concerns of the residents and myself as a local councillor and the need for urgency in the matter of the council taking charge of Westbury with immediate effect,” concluded Fitzgerald.
Senior executive engineer, Seán Lenihan stated that the estate will be taken in charge once a number of outstanding issues are addressed to the council’s satisfaction.