This article is from page 10 of the 2013-04-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
PEACE has broken out between Clare County Council and home owners in the Ard na Deirge estate in Killaloe – who have agreed to work together to resolve the seven-year impasse at the unfinished estate.
More than 80 local people turned out at a protest at the site last week. A second protest, which was due to take place at the Ennis offices of Clare County Council today, April 9, has been postponed indefinitely.
Three properties in Ard na Deirge were purchased in 2006, before the contractor behind the development went into receivership.
The buildings on the estates are partially completed but services, such as water and sewerage, are not currently operational.
AIB took control of the development, through a receiver, and an investor is currently in the process of completing the purchase of the estate.
Local couple Michelle Burke and William Buck, who have been paying almost € 1,400 a month in mortgage payments for their Ard na Deirge since 2006, organised last Tuesday’s protest in the hope that the bond for the property would be used to complete water and sewage works and allow them to move into their home.
“We were very happy with the meeting with Clare County Council. We are really hoping that they can do something to resolve this situation. The bond is there to cover costs if a developer goes bust and that is what happens here,” she told The Clare People yesterday.
“We can’t be left the way we are. It was an initial meeting [with the council] and they are going to ex- amine what options are available to them. They are not working with us in any kind of formal way but it was a positive meeting.
“Our hope would be that they could draw this bond and use it to complete the sewerage, lights and roads. We would have to completed the property ourselves. It is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully. It was a positive meeting and the lines of communication are now open,” she added.
A council spokesperson yesterday confirmed that last week’s meeting had been positive.
“We had a very useful meeting last week with the three house owners involved. The current complex situation was reviewed and a number of different scenarios were discussed,” said the spokesperson.
“While no decisions have been made at this point, the council is willing to uses its good offices to progress matters to a satisfactory solution for all. Towards that end, a number of other meetings have been scheduled with other stakeholders. We will continue to work with the householders involved to aid an overall resolution.”