SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES AT DUN EALA
The residents of the Dun Eala housing estate in Fermoy have welcomed the support of Cllr Noel McCarthy and Deputy Sean Sherlock in seeking to find a solution to ongoing problems with developers, Brompton Homes.
After failing to get a reply from Labour leader, Eamon Gilmore in connection to the issues with the developer, David Leach and Brompton Homes, Veronica Condon, secretary of the Dun Eala Residents Association outlined to The Avondhu the latest developments in relation to the ongoing problems on their estate.
BREACH OF PLANNING CONDITIONS
“We acknowledge the support of our local Labour representatives but the builder David Leach (who is the local Labour party election agent) still has not addressed the issues of the estate maintenance and is continuing to be in breach of the planning conditions in this respect,” Veronica said.
Cllr Noel McCarthy told The Avondhu that he and Deputy Sean Sherlock are 100 percent behind the residents of Dun Eala.
“David Leach’s connection to Labour has and would not affect our commitment to the people of Dun Eala. The developer needs to fulfill his responsibilities now,” Cllr McCarthy said.
CALL FOR ACTION
In dealing with the issue of developers not living up to their responsibilities, Sean Sherlock has welcomed the recommendations made by the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments which calls for immediate action to deal with some 350 dangerous or ‘developer-abandoned’ housing estates.
“County councils need to take charge of the situation as part of a national strategic approach to the issue of unfinished housing estates as funding of €5million will be available to them. I have been liaising with residents in a number of estates across the Cork East constituency on this issue over the past number of years who need to see action being taken,” Deputy Sherlock said.
Deputy Sherlock also said the recommendations will need to be implemented immediately by the next government in order to progress completion as a matter of urgency.
BITTER REMINDER
“People cannot continue to live in dangerous environments. In many cases children cannot even venture out in their estate to play because they are fraught with hazards. We can’t hide from this problem. It has to be tackled and people want to see incremental progress in individual estates. If people can at least see this being done then we can start to rebuild their trust,” he added.
Deputy Sherlock said ghost estates are a bitter reminder of the planning failures of the past and a constructive approach is needed in the future.
“They are a headache for residents of these estates, and for the wider community. If Labour is in government, the Minister for the Environment will bring forward, as a matter of urgency, a coherent plan to resolve the problems associated with ghost estates. There is also a need to pursue developers and get them to fulfill their conditions of planning,” Deputy Sherlock concluded..
Published:
Friday 25th February 7:48am
