by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
DONEGAL County Council is to establish a working
group to address the problem of unfinished housing
estates in Inishowen.
The group is to be created after an emergency motion
submitted by new Sinn Féin councillor Jack Murray
was supported by all parties in Inishowen and
endorsed by the council at their recent meeting in
Lifford.
Inishowen’s seven councillors, as well as senior
officials from the council’s housing, water and
environment, roads and planning sections, will sit
on the group seeking ways to alleviate the problems
face residents in unfinished housing estates.
“While financial constraints make it very difficult
for the Council to fix the huge problems in these
estates, I believe that the establishment of this
body is a proactive step towards addressing the
plight faced by hundreds of families in Inishowen,”
Cllr Murray said.
More than 40 estates in Donegal, including several
in Inishowen, have been left unfinished but Cllr
John Ryan has warned that the council doesn’t have
funding available to it to address “the nightmare”
state some estates have been left in.
“I applaud developers who finished estates to a high
standard, but I abhor those developers who have left
homeowners – many of whom paid top dollar for their
homes – in developments that are nothing short of a
nightmare.
“I have the utmost sympathy for homeowners who find
themselves in that position and will do all in my
power to alleviate the problems they face.
Cllr Ryan said that he had some success in
addressing problems in estates in Bridgend, but that
problems remain throughout Inishowen, including
areas he knows best such as Carrigans, St Johnston,
Killea, Bridgend, Burnfoot and Muff.
“We’ve created a monster,” Cllr Ryan said.
“Developers were able to build these developments
without first putting proper infrastructure – like
sewage treatment and roads – in place.
“Development bonds paid by developers will have to
be accessed, but there isn’t enough money there to
carry out work on the scale that’s required.
“For example, ground has been secured and planning
permission will shortly be sought for a proper
sewerage system in Burnfoot. But it will cost around
€2 million, and the developers bonds are only a drop
in the ocean.
“We need support from central government or nothing
can be done in the short term.” |
