INDEPENDENT councillor Richard O’Donoghue has urged Limerick City and County Council to use “common sense” and light up the public road in front of apartments off High Street in Croom.
He maintains that the area has suffered a number of ongoing issues because of the lack of public lighting,
“This is a public area serviced by a public road. The ongoing issues are anti-social behaviour, especially at holiday time, constant break-ins in the area, with two more house break-ins and one break-in to a car again this week,” he told the Limerick Post.
“The lights are there, wired and working, as agreed with Limerick City and County Council at the time that the apartments were built. Residents signed a petition to block off a roadway at the back of High Street and a light was erected to light the public roadway and agreed with the Council.
“Thousands upon thousands have been wasted on investigations by the Council and others when hundreds will fix this. Lives and properties can be saved if common sense is used.
“I have made countless representations on this matter. I have met on-site with Gardaí due to anti-social behaviour in the area. Countless man-hours have been wasted in an attempt to resolve this issue and my representations are going around in circles.”
Cllr O’Donoghue met on-site last week with residents and the owner of the apartments.
“Three poles were erected in the area to light up the public road. I discovered yesterday that the power at the main pillar box at High Street, feeding these three poles, has been disconnected,” he said.
He is now calling on the local authority to restore, without any further delay, the power to the three poles lighting this public roadway.
“The resources of the Gardaí and the Council can be better spent. Common sense must be used in this instance. For an outlay of little more than €200 per annum this public area could be lit and made safe,” Cllr O’Donoghue declared.
There was no response from Limerick City and County Council at the time of going to print.
