This article is from page 34 of the 2008-03-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 34 JPG
THE physical and logistical chal- lenges that faced Kilrush Town Council when it embarked on the pi- lot phase of the reyuvenation of John Paul Estate paled into insignificance this week when local families got their first view of the newly reno- vated houses.
One who was on the coal face of the development from the start was the town clerk, Fiona Mooney.
“It was a case of how would we overcome the design mistakes that were there from the start,’ she said.
The first challenge facing the coun- cil was to remove the notorious back lanes to the houses.
Ms Mooney said that while some residents were initially concerned about how they would access the back of their houses, it soon became apparent that the security and privacy their removal would achieve would far outweigh the other difficulties.
The other major physical changes were the derelict spaces that had been left and the block of houses that had been built in what could easily have been an open public area.
She also paid tribute to the build-
ers, Martin Fitzgibbon Builders.
“This long term regeneration project is about more than the indi- vidual houses, it is about people tak- ing pride in their area and standing up for the positives in the commu- nity,’ said Ms Mooney.
She said that the houses in the pilot part of this project now have secure back gardens and boundaries.
There were more than physical boundaries to overcome for the town clerk and the council staff.
“We had to relocate households while the work was carried out.
‘We met with nothing but positivity
from people,’ said the town clerk.
“It was a leap of faith for people and we were So impressed with the leap of faith they took,” she said.
“We hope it has paid off for them.”
The pilot phase of the John Paul Estate Remedial Works Scheme cov- ered almost one quarter of the entire estate and now the council are hop- ing to get the support of central Gov- ernment so they can finish the estate as soon as possible.
The show house at Willow Green will be open for viewings until March 14, Monday-Saturday (1lam to lpm) and Sunday 9 (2pm to 4pm).