LOOTING and children climbing on to abandoned cranes
THE Parkway Valley development at Singland on the Dublin Road is an immediate pubic safety concern.
The issue is so serious, according to Deputy Willie O’Dea that he is making representations at national level to have the site made safe.
“Looting is taking place regularly by people looking for scrap metal and children are climbing the abandoned cranes on the site, which is easily accessible at the back of the Chesterfield Downs and Chesterfield Grove, just off the Childers Road,” he told the Limerick Post.,
Pointing out that the loans of the company that own the site have now been taken over by NAMA, Mr O’Dea says:
“Under the legislation this allows them to move in and secure the site. I’ve drafted a letter to the Department of Finance requesting that they exercise this right and secure the safety of the site.”
While all of the Oireachtas members received a directive that they cannot make representations to NAMA in relation to sites that are in their control, Deputy O’Dea believes that this directive is primarily aimed at preventing public representatives from interfering with the commercial aspect of the process.
“Surely I can make representations from a public safety point of view because the site is now owned by the taxpayers.
“It is an absolute disgrace the way this site has been abandoned and it’s about time NAMA decide what they are going to do with it”.
Anxious to find out how he can make representations to NAMA about the site, Mr O’Dea believes that he will be the first TD in the country to do so.
A Chesterfield Downs resident spoke about the disruptive affect the site is having:
“From my position not on:y does it look depressing but it’s also causing big time anti-social behaviour up here as well. There are cars pulling up here at all hours and unloading slabs of drink for teenagers who are drinking in the empty site”.
According to the resident, vans often arrive to load up on scrap and other material left on the site:
“Anything of any value has been taken and all the wires have been stripped from the cranes,” he says.
The Parkway Valley site, which is owned by property development company Elocin Ltd, a part of developer Liam Carroll’s Zoe Group, was to be one of the largest shopping complexes in Ireland
Liam Carroll was one of the first ten developers to go into NAMA at the beginning of the year but it has yet to be confirmed whether this site is included.
When asked to confirm or deny if the site has been purchased by NAMA Eavan Sheehan of Gordon MRM said, “Unfortunately, we can’t help you on this occasion as NAMA does not confirm/deny the identity of borrowers or discuss any aspect of their business”.
