Tag Archives: taken in charge

Cllr Pearse McGeough Welcomes taking in Charge of Estates in Castlebellingham

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Sinn Féin Councillor Pearse McGeough has welcomed the decision for two estates in Castlebellingham to be ‘taken in charge’.

 

At last week’s Ardee Municipal Meeting it was agreed that Bellingham Green and Bellingham Close would be taken over by the local authority.

 

Cllr McGeough said “Now that Louth County Council have taken the estates in charge, home owners and residents can now access all the services and protections that their taxes pay for. I know of one estate that in 2014 had its street lights turned off because the developer in cahrge of the estate hadn’t paid its electricity bills. Having your estate ‘taken in charge’ is advantageous to the home-owner.”

Kenneth Flood Welcomes Estates being ‘Taken in Charge’

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Sinn Féin Cllr. Kenneth Flood has welcomed the taking in charge of Aston Village, Termon Abbey, Silk Park and Forest Park estates in Drogheda.

Cllr Flood said “As former Chairperson of the Aston Village Residents Association I can safely say that this was a long and complicated road to get Aston Village and Termon Abbey finally taken in charge. I want to commend the resident’s associations that gave their time and liaised for years with Louth County Council. Pursuing the taking in charge process so vigorously and sequestering the bond to pay for the works was the only way to resolve issues left behind when the developer went under during the crash. I am delighted that all of those issues are resolved and now we can concentrate on traffic calming and some parking issues on the spine road. We will also redouble our efforts to have the roundabout at the entrance to the estate that should have been in place under the conditions of planning for Aston Village so residents can enter and exit the estates safely and freely and look at the pedestrian throughway between Termon Abbey and Aston Village.

I would also like to welcome the taking in charge of Silk Park. Especially as it coincides with my motion to have a yellow box put on The Platin Road at the entrance of the estate to aid residents entering and exiting onto Platin Road. The application to take Silk Park in charge was made back in 2009. Residents have been frustrated by this long and drawn out process. There was a fund introduced last year by central government to aid in the taking in charge of estates but so far Louth County Council have not made an application for funding from it.

Aston Village, Termon Abbey, Silk Park and Forest Park are the first estates taken in charge by Louth County Council in Drogheda in this current council term. There are several more estates that are still in the taking in charge process and I will endeavor to do everything possible to ensure that they are taken in charge as soon as possible”.

 

Cllr Flood – Estates not ‘Taken In Charge’ disadvantaged

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Kenneth FloodSinn Féin Councillor Kenneth Flood has said “it beggars belief that Louth County Council have not referred several estates, numbering hundreds of homes, to Irish Water to progress the ‘taking in charge’ process, despite repeated assurances throughout the year that they have done so.”

In December 2015 Cllr Flood gave a report to Louth County Council on the ‘taking in charge’ of Aston Village and Termon Abbey. Cllr Flood was told that “the developments would be referred to Irish Water to assess and report on their water services prior to commencing the statutory process of taking in charge. During the year I contacted more than one council official on more than one occasion asking for an update on the ‘taking in charge’ process relating to these developments, only to be told that the matter was with Irish Water and no further information could be given.”

Cllr Flood also contacted the Council on behalf of Forest Park and Beaulieu View regarding their taking in charge status only to be given a similar answer.

Cllr Flood said “When no updates were forthcoming I contacted Irish Water directly who informed me that they had received no notification from Louth County Council regarding taking in charge any of these developments.”

“Because this information contradicted that we had been told in the council chamber, via email and over the phone, I put a question to the meeting of the Borough District of Drogheda where LCC confirmed they hadn’t in fact referred the developments to Irish Water, stating that outstanding clarifications were needed before referral. No specific details were given and still have not been given.”

Cllr Flood explained “The home-owners in these developments are obliged by the government to pay local property tax, but because the developments are not ‘taken in charge’ they cannot access all the services and protections that these taxes pay for. In 2014 the Liscorrie estate in Drogheda had all of its street lights turned off for several weeks by the ESB because the developer had not paid its electricity bills. This would not have happened if the estate was ‘taken in charge’ by the council”.

“Last month council officials stated that these matters would be dealt with and an update was expected at yesterday’s Municipal District Meeting. Those clarifications were not forthcoming and we are none the wiser as to when the ‘taking in charge’ process, and the protections and services that tax payers are already paying for that comes with it, will be finalised.”

Cllr Flood said “This is an unacceptable situation and I will be following up on these matters until they are fully and finally resolved”.

Sinn Féin Moves To Insure All Estates Get ‘Taken In Charge’

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Gerry, Kenneth & ImeldaThere are 29 housing estates classified as ‘unfinished’ in the National Survey of Unfinished Housing Developments (December 2014 update) in County Louth. However, this list does not include estates or developments that have been completed but have not been ‘taken in charge’ which means they are being forced to pay the Local Property Tax but are unable to access services for the development.

Sinn Féin Councillor Kenneth Flood explained what this meant. “Take for example Beaulieu View which was built as far back as 1992. The Council have confirmed to me that an application was never received by the developer to have the estate ‘taken in charge’. What this means is if for example a street light goes out it’s usually a very simple process of ringing ESB and giving them the pole number, they come out and fix it. But for an estate that has not been taken in charge, it is the responsibility of the residents albeit through a management company paid for by the residents to foot the bill before it can be fixed.”

Kenneth Flood explained how, in the case of Beaulieu View all efforts to track down the developer have been fruitless. “After the so-called Celtic Tiger era we were told many of the developers went bust so we have a generation of home-owners who are paying this tax on their home but are unable to access basic maintenance services”.

Cllr Imelda Munster, who is a candidate in the upcoming election and is a member of the Corporate Policy Group on Louth County Council brought forward a motion that all developments like Beaulieu View across the county of Louth should be categorised and listed. Cllr Munster also asked the Council to commit to a plebiscite schedule for all these developments to ensure they have an opportunity to be taken in charge.

Cllr Flood said “I am delighted to say the council have agreed the motion and the required report will be included under planning in the Chief Executives Report to the March monthly meeting of the Council. There are developments in this county going back 40 years that were never taken in charge. For decades tax payers were paying for services they could not access. But now we have the commitment for the plebiscite schedule for all of these developments to ensure they have an opportunity to be taken in charge, we can get to work bringing all of these housing developments finally under the care of the council”.