A total of twelve housing estates in Portlaoise are in the process of being taken in charge by Laois County Council.
Once an estate is taken in charge, the local authority is responsible for services for the public areas in the housing estate in question.
The council will take an estate in charge once the development is completed to its satisfaction, and a written request to do so has been received from the local residents.
Often, a number of outstanding works result in a delay in the process of the estate being taken in charge.
The council is then in charge of maintaining items such as public lighting, roads and footpaths and open spaces, with the exception of green areas.
The recent Portlaoise Municipal District meeting heard that the 12 estates currently going through the process are: Summerhill, Westlands, Chantiere Gate, Broomville Court, Gardens and Close, Millbrook, Clonrooske Abbey, Bellingham, Maryborough Village and Woodgrove.
Slow
Pat Delaney of the roads department outlined there “has been progress on the estates” but “it has been slow”.
Summerhill has been ongoing for a number of years, according to Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald.
The residents there would really appreciate it “getting to the endgame”.
“It is great to see the work being done in other estates,” she said.
Westlands is one of the oldest estates which hasn’t been taken in charge, Cllr Willie Aird said. For the estates near the Mountmellick Road, there is now “light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
“You can see building starting to lift off now,” he said.
There is a “serious flooding problem” in part of Clonrooske Abbey according to Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley, with water run-off from across the road.
“It seems to be a problem with silt,” she said.
Residents have told Cllr Dwane Stanley that they can’t get house insurance due to a risk of flooding.
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