At last our long
wait is over and a new era for Limerick city has begun,
at last the Master Plan.
The one thing
that is evident in the so-called Master Plan is that there
was no real community consultation. I don't know anyone
in Weston that was looking for 5-storey apartment blocks
or duplexes. One Agency-established committee member I spoke
to wasn't even aware of that. The assertion that this document
was the product of the communities is laughable. I think
that many people will be overwhelmed and confused by it.
The Weston Gardens
Residents Association presented the Southside Regeneration
Agency with our own proposal for regeneration in December
2007. Entitled Renewal, Integration, Regeneration,
it was based on everything we were told that was possible
for our area by the Agency. It was ignored and we were strung
along with pointless meetings and empty promises. There
was even an attempt to cut us from the Agency's remit and
pass us back to the Council.
Our Association
has been campaigning for more than 8 years to have our estate
regenerated. We have learned that to make changes, we have
to work with those who can decide that changes will happen.
But working with such people is rarely a true partnership.
The agendas are different. If their agendas for change coincided
with the communities, the changes would have happened without
us having to ask.
The Limerick
Regeneration Agencies have once again subverted the concept
of a real community agenda by producing another 'vision'
document without any real consultation or debate. A 'top
down' approach with a 'bottom up' veneer; a developers dream
with jobs 'for the boys'.
Our small estate
is mentioned in the Plans, but that does not mean that anything
will be done for us, or anyone else for that matter. At
the end of the day, action speaks louder than words and
to date all we have gotten are words. There may well be
30 pages dedicated to social regeneration in this new vision
document, but they are just words.
In the Fitzgerald
Report we were promised a dedicated Garda service for our
troubled estates. Involving a minimum of 100 Gardaí
"whose sole function will be the policing of these
areas" and headed by their own superintendent. This
never happened. Of course if the state had restored confidence
and stability in the communities then it wouldn't be able
to depopulate so readily, clearing the land for developers.
Limerick City
Council is facilitating the Regeneration Agencies by overseeing
the depopulation of areas targeted for regeneration. While
these areas are officially under the remit of the Regeneration
Agencies, refusing to involve themselves in the process.
Indeed, the Agencies expect another 500 homes will be vacated
before building commences.
People have being
looking to get out of our troubled estates for years. Since
the publication of the Fitzgerald Report, Limerick City
Council has been acquiring peoples homes for as little as
€20,000 - €40,000 in exchange for rented accommodation
elsewhere.
The Council claim
that they are paying 'the market rate'. In truth, there
is no market. Any self-respecting auctioneer will tell you
that houses in such areas are unsellable! Furthermore, the
'market rate' does not give financial security. Acceptance
of the councils offer is conveniently interpreted as 'wanting
to leave' and as a result people forfeit their right to
a new house in the newly regenerated area.
This policy can
only be viewed as exploiting the criminal and anti-social
behaviour that exists to pave the way for developers by
clearing the land of as many people as possible. Most of
these people are law-abiding and elderly, and had finished
paying their mortgages.
Troubled families
that don't have criminal records are also being displaced,
which makes a mockery of any stated intentions for social
regeneration.
People who have
taken the council offer should be contacted by the Regeneration
Agencies and offered a house in the newly regenerated area.
If they used to be homeowners then they should return as
homeowners. If they do not wish to return, then a house
in the regenerated area should be sold on their behalf so
that they can purchase the house they now have to rent.
In the interim, they shouldn't have to pay rent and Communities
that are waiting for regeneration shouldn't have to stew
in it; the degeneration must stop now.
