Tipperary housing estate set to be taken in charge by council after planning issues resolved
A Carrick-on-Suir housing estate is set to be taken in charge by Tipperary County Council despite ongoing concerns raised by some residents.
At the September meeting of the Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District, councillors were asked to vote on plans to take the Boherbue estate in Carrickbeg into the council’s charge.
The taking in charge of an estate means that Tipperary County Council assumes responsibility for the maintenance of public areas in a private housing development.
Senior planner with the council Anne Marie Devaney said that after site surveys, the council was prepared to go ahead with the taking in charge of the estate.
Sinn Féin Councillor David Dunne formally proposed the motion, saying that it was “timely”.
“It’s very timely and it’s very quick that this has been turned around,” he said.
The proposal was seconded by Fine Gael Councillor Mark Fitzgerald.
Fianna Fáil Councillor Kieran Bourke asked if a number of planning and other issues on the site had been rectified.
“As a public representative, I would have represented a resident who has been living there for quite a long number of years, and raised issues with planning. We actually met with planning, and there was a number of issues.
“Have these issues been resolved to the satisfaction of everyone involved?” Cllr Bourke asked.
In response, Ms Devaney said that there had been work done with the planning section, and that the issues had been dealt with.
“The planning authority went out and investigated, and we opened an enforcement file, we sent a warning letter, and since the issuance of that letter, the developer complied with outstanding conditions on the planning permission,” she explained.
“Further surveys were carried out on the site, and we are of the opinion that there are no further outstanding, planning-related matters on the site.
“There may still be some discontent but we are satisfied from our investigation that these relate to civil matters, and are outside of the control of the local authority,” Ms Devaney added.
The senior planner also explained that while the council are taking responsibility for the estate’s public areas, this does not extend to grass cutting, and that a residents’ committee will have to be set up to arrange grass cutting.