SDLP Councillor Brendan Gallagher
A NUMBER of unfinished housing developments, around the county owned by the bank have ‘serious problems’ in regards to sewage and potholes. Local councillors have raised concerns about estates in Brookeborough, Garrison and Derrylin.
The issue was raised by Sinn Fein’s Sheamus Greene, who explained his concern about who is accepting responsibility for the problems prevalent throughout Fermanagh.
“Everyone’s washing their hands of it. The bank that owns it has been fobbing me off, it is an absolute disgrace that banks seem to get away without taking responsibility for it. They don’t have to pay rates like us normal Joe Bloggs. Sewage, pot holes, they just don’t want to know. I have been passed from pillar to post from last week and still not getting anything from the bank.”
SDLP councillor Brendan Gallagher said that in his area of west Fermanagh there were lots of affected developments. “In the Garrison area sewage is a problem,” he explained.
Party colleague John O’Kane highlighted the issue of overgrown hedgerows. Mr O’Kane questioned whether bonds were put down by the Roads Service and NI Water before work commenced in these developments and if so could these be called in to cover the outstanding work.
DUP councillor Bert Johnston recalled his own experience with such problems in Ardess and how he wrote to Roads Service and NI Water to ask them for help, to which they both agreed.
While NI Water are yet to do any work Bert noted that Roads Service had put in footpaths and roadways. “It can be dealt with,” he noted.
Sinn Fein councillor Barry Doherty insisted that Mr Johnston ‘struck lucky’ and cited two estates in Derrylin requiring attention.
Director of Building Control at the council Desi Reid explained that NI water do not have bonds in place in many developments and many ongoing developments have no bonds on them.
It was agreed that the council write to both Roads Service and NI Water for clarification on bonds held on estates within the county.
The issues were discussed at Monday’s meeting of Fermanagh District Council.
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