A HOUSING ESTATE IN KILDYSART is claimed to be the best maintained in the county while also boasting to have “the finest view from any Council estate in Ireland”.
An appeal to resurface the road into the housing scheme at Crovraghan in Kildysart was made by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) at a recent sitting of the West Clare Municipal District.
Senior executive engineer in the West Clare MD, Alan Kennelly said Crovraghan was “typical of many housing developments in West Clare”. He explained, “developments are perhaps fifty years or more old and the road surface is relatively poor in places. Road reconstruction is required to restore the road surface to its original condition and this can only be done using a bituminous pavement overlay”.
Loose chippings from surface dressing mean this isn’t feasible in housing estates, Kennelly advised. He added, “overlays are expensive and the West Clare MD does not have the funds in its annual roadworks programme to carry out pavement overlays in these and many other housing developments. Should funding become available the West Clare MD will carry out the necessary works at Crovraghan and indeed other housing developments in our charge”.
According to Cllr Kelly, Crovraghan is “approximately one hundred years old and I would say it has the finest view from any Council estate in Ireland looking out over the Estuary”. He referenced recent planning applications in the county and remarked, “if we were to consider it for planning permission today I would say it would get a no for visual impact”.
Cllr Kelly admitted he was disappointed no funding scheme existed to carry out the request. “I doubt there is a better estate in the county that is better maintained or managed. I would have to give the community eleven out of ten for how they manage it, they are very proud of it,” the Lissycasey representative commented.
While seconding the motion, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) recalled a previous proposal he lodged seeking a separate funding scheme for such works.
John O’Malley, acting senior executive officer in the West Clare MD acknowledged the importance of supporting and encouraging communities who maintain their estates to a high standard. He outlined, “the funding is very specific, these housing estates fall into a category that they fall between two stools as such. I will work on that to see how they could be funded”.
