Unfinished estate ‘left in limbo’

ACCORDING to John Paul Estate-based town councillor Stephen O’Gorman, the lack of progress with completing development work has led to one side of the estate “laughing at the other part”.

He also predicted that the estate will continue to lose people, who are moving due to frustration at the lack of progress and described the estate as being “in limbo”.
Phase one of the €3.8m work was completed in July 2008. Twenty-four houses were upgraded, four were demolished and seven were completely rebuilt. Since then, an application by Kilrush Town Council to the Government for money to complete three further phases, has not yet been approved.
“Unfortunately, the economic downturn struck at this point and no further approval has as yet been received, despite positive indications. We are continuing to put pressure on the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to approve further remedial works in the estate,” John Corry, Kilrush town clerk, told last Thursday’s meeting of the town council.
“The way it’s left at the moment is soul-destroying,” Councillor O’ Gorman said.
“We have five or six people who want to move out but not many who want to move in. We will lose the people there,” he added, pointing out that as far back as 1998, the estate was the tidiest in Kilrush.
“My biggest fear is that there’ll be five or six more houses empty. It’s not good for families there. That’s not fair on these people, to be left in limbo,” he commented.
Mr Corry pointed out that five vacant houses had central heating installed late last year and early in 2010, while he assured the meeting that the town council are continuing to lobby for funding to upgrade the remainder of the local authority estate.
Up to 10 additional houses have been sanctioned for the installation of central heating in the coming months, the town clerk revealed. However, Councillor O’Gorman insists that the estate development must continue if at all possible.
“What we have left over there is not right. We look after it now or we lose it. The full story is not very nice,” he stressed.
While talking at length on the issue, Councillor O’Gorman was reminded by Kilrush mayor Marian McMahon-Jones that he had spoken for more than the allocated five minutes allowed.
Councillor O’Gorman, however, said that he could talk for up to two days on the subject, such was his strong feelings on the incomplete estate.