Takeover prompts call for enforcement resources

HOUSING Minister of State Deputy Jan O’Sullivan has been asked to provide adequate enforcement resources for local authorities to reduce the risk of large, unfunded bills following the public taking in charge of large housing developments.

This plea was made this week by Killaloe Electoral Area senior executive engineer, Hugh McGrath, as Clare County Council assumed responsibility for the public infrastructure serving almost 800 houses in the sprawling Westbury Housing Estate, at an estimated cost of €585,000.

The council doesn’t have a definitive source of funding to cover the cost of remedying poorly laid water stop cocks and meters, which will cost an estimated €223,500.

It can’t take over a portion of unfinished development at Bruachlán and Grianán because this relates to a separate receivership. This includes 67 houses in Bruachlán where associated services are not fully completed and another 22 houses in An Grianán, which are completed and occupied but front on to a linked avenue with Bruachlán where public services aren’t fully completed.

Speaking at the official handing over ceremony in the South-East Clare Area Offices in Westbury, which was approved by Minister O’Sullivan, Mr McGrath made the most telling contribution when he stressed that lessons had to be learned from this process.

“We do need to resource the enforcement issue from a technical point of view so that the issues, when it comes to taking an estate in charge, are not as significant. That, for me, would be the best result from this.

“For the next few years, residents will have to have a certain degree of patience. Filling the potholes is probably the easier thing. Keeping the place safe and keeping the services running in an estate where we don’t have full knowledge of it will require patience from residents,” he added.

While councillors were smiling, Mr McGrath joked he was probably trembling at the huge task at hand tackling issues in Westbury.

“The council had a duty to residents living in this part of South-East Clare and that is what drove a lot of us on. When I came to Clare County Council in 2001, one of my first jobs was to come down to Westbury and do some assessment work with a view to taking it in charge.

“I wasn’t the first engineer to get that job. It is a pity that it has come to a stage where the economy has slowed down and we are left with this unfinished aspect of the estate.

“This is why we are taking it in charge. The receivers came in the construction companies went,” he said.

He praised roads and water service staff who are working in the area at the moment.

Minister O’Sullivan described the ceremony as a very “historic” day for Westbury.

She paid tribute to local deputies, county councillors and council officials for their work in bringing this to fruition.

“It is a very large estate. There is a huge level of work and complexity and different issues involved.

“I know the council has other estates in Clare that need attention but I am delighted that you have brought Westbury to this historic stage,” she said.

Deputy Mayor of Clare Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald acknowledged the public takeover had taken almost three decades to complete and welcomed the start of work in the estate including filling potholes.
He praised director of services Ger Dollard, county manager Tom Coughlan and Mr McGrath for all their work in bringing this project to fruition.

Acknowledging the work of the previous Killaloe senior executive engineer, Seán Lenihan, Councillor Fitzgerald said Mr McGrath had taken this issue by the “scruff of the neck” and recalled he had got annoyed on occasions when councillors highlighted problems in the estate when the council had no jurisdiction.

“Hugh McGrath followed up on his promises, it is a great day for him and the council. We are just starting here today and now we can look forward to contacting the council when we want to progress issues in the estate,” he said.

Acknowledging it would take some time before all the major issues in Westbury are resolved, he said residents could now look forward to a much brighter future

Mr Coughlan revealed he had received a considerable amount of correspondence and phone calls about issues in Westbury in recent years.

The county manager acknowledged it had been a long process with a lot of difficulties along the way. He paid tribute to Mr Dollard and Mr McGrath for having the drive to push the takeover “over the line” and also praised the previous work carried out by their predecessors and other staff.

He also acknowledged the co-operation of the representatives of developers for their positive engagement, which paved the way for the final deal.

“I am delighted to be here today to see the public taking in charge. Pascal and Cathal will have to find something else to talk about,” he joked.

Mr Dollard recalled the minister’s department had provided some very useful guidelines on how to deal with a situation like Westbury, which wasn’t straightforward as there were a number of different parties involved after the two main construction companies ceased trading.

Stating this is very much the beginning of the work which has to be done, he noted Mr McGrath would be going into the estate to complete a thorough inspection to establish a programme of improvements on a priority basis.

Councillor Michael Begley said he was probably most active for the first 17 years of the estate and councillors had brought the front part of the development to the takeover stage in 2004, until some constituents gave some of them a “holiday” for a few years by voting for new council members.

“Westbury went through an expansionary period from then on, which complicated the taking in charge process. It became bigger and bigger and ended up what it is today. I am delighted to be part of the team that saw it eventually being taken in charge. Hopefully, we will be around to see improvements for the residents.

Deputy Willie O’Dea joined with the other speakers in congratulating all the council staff for their hard work throughout the process.

“It was a long tortuous process and I am glad to see it brought to a conclusion. At least we now have a target when it comes to solving problems in the estate. It is good day and represents significant progress,” he said.