A newly
formed residents' group, the Ballinacurra Weston Residents'
Alliance (BWRA), is outraged at Limerick City Council's Regeneration
Office for refusing to give permission to clean up vacant houses
in the Weston area on "health and safety grounds".
"I'm
absolutely outraged at this refusal. The council are responsible
for these properties and they have left them in an awful state.
Are they trying to run us out of the area on the cheap? It's
as if we're being treated as second class citizens,"
said Stephen Corbett, vice-chair of the BWRA.
Matt
Collins, chairman of the BWRA, said that it beggared belief.
"It's because of health and safety issues that we wanted
to clean up the properties in the first place. We've asked the
council to adequately secure these properties. It's only a matter
of time before a child gets injured or worse, killed. I've witnessed
kids from outside the area running along the roofs throwing
stones at property and passers by." said Mr. Collins.
The
area has degenerated considerably since the arrival of the Limerick
Regeneration Agency and the BWRA met with Brendan Kenny, CEO
of the Agency, in July to express their concerns. "The
regeneration Agency set up a residents' forum in 2008 but this
proved to be little more than a talking shop, there was no real
consultation regarding the Master Plans and our area just got
worse and worse while we wasted time at meetings. That's why
we set up the Ballinacurra Weston Residents' Alliance. At our
meeting, Mr. Kenny admitted that the forum is defunct and said
that he will be happy to work with our alliance," said
Mr. Collins "The forum only had a membership of 65 residents,
our Alliance is now representative of 90% of households in the
immediate regeneration area" he added
"So
far, regeneration has meant little more than depopulation and
dereliction. What is really required is Social Regeneration.
Rebuilding our community and taking ownership will be a priority
for the BWRA" said Mr. Corbett, adding that the group
were going ahead with the clean up with or without permission,
"we're the ones that have to live in the area with burnt
out boarded up houses infested with rats and stagnant water"
he said.
The
Working Committee of the BWRA are as follows:
Chair: Matt Collins (former forum rep for Clarina Avenue)
Vice-Chair: Stephen Corbett (former forum rep for Crecora Avenue,
Board of Directors Limerick Youth Service and Board of Management
OLOL National School)
Secretary: Martin Woodland (former forum rep for Clarina Avenue
and member of Limerick District Anglers Association)
Treasurer: Joseph Lynch (Former forum rep for Beechgrove Avenue)
PRO: Cathal McCarthy (Chair of Weston Gardens Residents' Association
and Limerick Regeneration Watch).
The
BWRA want a regeneration that is centred on the immediate needs
of the Community. "We live in the here and now. Residents
need to see practical improvements now, not in twenty years
time when the market has recovered. Most of the money that is
earmarked for regeneration is for roads and other infrastructural
works. This begs the question whose benefit is regeneration
for, the developers or the residents'?" said Cathal McCarthy,
PRO with the BWRA. "It's about time that Limerick City
Council and the Regeneration Agency started to listen to residents
and engage with our alliance in a meaningful and honest way"
said Mr. McCarthy, adding that "presently, we are carrying
out a survey to ascertain residents' views on regeneration.
For most residents it is the first time that they were asked
their opinion on regeneration"
ENDS
For
Further Information contact:
Matt Collins 087 65 77 063
Stephen Corbett 085 826 46 07
Cathal McCarthy 087 29 29 676
Visit
www.youtube.com/RegenerationWatch
to view Stephen Corbett show one of the properties in question.
