Estate takeovers welcomed by Ballina Town Council

Estate takeovers welcomed by Ballina Town Council


Ciara Galvin

BALLINA Town Council agreed to takeover six estates in the town at last week’s monthly meeting. Town Engineer Orla Bourke informed councillors gathered that Lansyn, Riverslade, Riverside Drive, Riverside Grove and Riverside Grange were in a position to be taken over by the council.
Due to ongoing remedial works at the Blackrockcourt estate, Ms Bourke proposed to delay taking over the estate until such time as remedial works were completed next month.
A period of one month consultation period will now be taken by the council before taking charge of the five estates.  
Welcoming the takeovers, Fianna FΡil Cllr Willie Nolan said the takeovers would allow the Part 8 development for a public park at Riverside Grange, Riverside Grove and Riverside Drive to take place.
Independent Cllr Mary Kelly raised issue with the refusal of an application submitted by the Meadows Estate residents for takeover, stating that the change of statute law by town councils forcing residents’ associations to submit full plans was not acceptable. Ms Bourke stated that the Town Council require the submission of a full application including plans and drawings in order to ‘satisfied that works have been done’.
Cllr Kelly stated that a residents association in Enniskillen had taken a town council to court over a similar issue.
“The residents’ association does not have access to documents. That [Meadows estate] should have been taken over two years ago,” said Cllr Kelly.
Independent Cllr Peter Clarke stated that the residents’ committee of the Meadows estate wrote to the developer of the estate ‘on occasions’ and had not received a reply.
“It’s a disgrace that developers are getting away with it. The road, the footpaths, the green, there’s accidents waiting to happen. An elderly woman already fell there [Meadows estate] a year ago,” explained Cllr Clarke.
Fine Gael’s Mark Winters said the more estates that get taken over would be good for the town council. “Once these [estates] are taken over residents will embrace it and improve it. Not that it will  cost Ballina Town Council, it will actually save,” he explained.