11th October, 2001
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

KEYS FOUND ...

Hello, I found a set of keys on the Ballyorban road on Sunday 30th Sept. If space allows could you publish this in your next issue. My telephone number is 4361233. I enjoy reading the "Weekly" Thanking You,
(Name & Address with Editor)

DOUGLAS TODY TOWNS

Dear Michael,

Many thanks to a number of resident groups who have written letters of congratulations during the past week and to a number of clubs in Douglas Village. We will acknowledge all in due course.
We will start our winter planting at the end of the month.
I would ask people who would like to help out with Tidy Towns 2002 to contact us and make their views known to the committee over the next week on how Douglas can be further improved .It is possible to get a good result in 2002.
We can be contacted at Douglas Community Centre Church Road, Douglas Village Cork
Remember the street sweep continues on Saturday next (10.30 am to 12.30pm), at the Douglas Community Centre,
Is mise le meas
Sean O'Riordan, Chairman,
Douglas Tidy Towns Committee

DEIRDRE CLUNE, TD, WRITES ...

The fact that many housing estates are not finished to an adequate standard is an issue of concern to many householders in the Douglas area. Too often we hear of developers leaving an unfinished estate behind them and moving on to build houses elsewhere leaving residents with a bureaucratic nightmare as they try' to work with Cork County Council / Cork Corporation to ensure their estates are taken into public hands, Some estates as old as 20 years or more have yet to be taken over by the Council, others which may even have a bond in place are involved in a lengthy process to ensure the situation is rectified.

This will change under the new Planning Act due to be enforced shortly. In future the Planning Authority will be able to refuse to grant permission to a developer who has not complied with previous permissions. The new Act also states that when an estate has been completed to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority, the Authority will be required to take it in charge when the developer or a majority of the residents request that the Authority do so.

Where an estate is unfinished, and a 7 year period for the taking of enforcement action has expired, and a majority of the residents so request, the Planning Authority will be obliged to take the estate in charge. These changes will put an end to the unsatisfactory situations that exist in places like Rochestown Rise, Maryborough, Broadale, Thorrnbury View, Westgrove, Alderbrook, The Paddocks and others.
Deirdre Clune T.D.

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