LABOUR Party councillor Joe Leddin has called on Limerick City and County Council to undertake a complete review of its housing strategy for Ballinacurra Weston — one of the oldest local authority estates in the city.
Speaking at this week’s local authority budget meeting, Cllr Leddin, who also sits on the Housing and Social Policy Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), stated that an-hoc approach had developed in recent times towards the building, demolition and renovation of houses in Ballinacurra Weston.
“We cannot have a scenario where just because the Regeneration boundary lines have split the estate effectively in two that some residents are having significant refurbishment works done including insulation, windows and doors replacement while neighbours across the road continue to wait for similar works,” he explained.
“Original plans as part of the Regeneration programme included the part demolition of houses on Byrne Avenue and Lenihan Avenue. However, this, in my opinion, is not sustainable given the timeframe involved and pressure to house people. It is also unfair to expect tenants to continue to live in these houses if no major maintenance works will be done.”
He went on to say that large green areas have replaced hundreds of houses, such as the former Clarina Park estate, with no plans for redevelopment.
“Other plans to build houses to the rear of Our Lady of Lourdes community centre are advanced with no consultation.
“Void properties continue to blot the community and we must set ambitious targets to eliminate and compulsory purchase houses that are derelict or empty and provide homes for families. The objective of subsuming the Regeneration agency into the council was to ensure that there was joined up thinking on how best to develop and improve Ballinacurra Weston.
“We need a complete review of current plans so that we can agree the best course of action to advance the redevelopment and upgrade of the estate for the benefit of the entire community,” Cllr Leddin concluded.
Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Conn Murray replied that he would “look at what possibly can be done”.
