Kells: taking in charge of estates almost underway

JUST three of 17 Kells housing estates were of a standard to be taken in charge, town engineer Shane Carroll told last Monday night"s town council meeting. These are Headfort Glebe (13 houses), Headfortwood (78) and Newrath View (57). He strongly urged Hermitage Glen (64) not be taken in charge until outstanding serious problems with both surface water and foul drains were resolved by developer MSL Construction. All planning conditions had still to be met at Bective Place (36), Cherryhill Close (66), Archdeaconry View (40), Rochford Hall (52), The Glebe (149), The Cloisters (48), Moy Place (6), Tobar Ban (41), Taylor Hall (62), Cherryhill (107) and Townspark Manor (59), while there was no request to take Maudlin Court (14) while the engineering section had to be consulted before Stonebridge (36) could be taken in charge. Already taken in charge are are Balrathwood (71), Oak Court (8), Park Lodge (13), Carrick Dun (36), Termon Hall (14) and Grand Priory (50). Mr Carroll told Cllr Ollie Sweeney that the taking in charge process would get underway in coming weeks for the three estates, while others were 'on the cusp' for that and would be written to shortly. 'Most things' were in order in Maudlin Court but the developer was no longer in the picture and had made no request for its being taken in charge. The Stonebridge developer was no longer involved and measures had been taken there, while parts of the Stonebridge bond had been seized to carry out works there. 'Sporadic' works had been carried out by its developer who told the council they would rectify everything. The engineer told Cllr Conor Ferguson there had been no request to take over Rochford Hall. The Archdeaconry View developer was still within time to carry out works there, he told Cllr AO Farrelly. No specific problems within the town sewerage system led him to believe the pumping station at Tobar Ban might be one source of the recent odour problem in the town, said Mr Carroll. That pump was clear and in good condition when inspected but it was being monitored as there had been past problems there. The town"s entire system had CCTV installed as part of its optimisation works currently under way, and jet-washed but the latest complaints were different from those made during the jet-washing. People got sick and some businesses even closed, so bad was that smell, said Cllr Brian Curran. Cathaoirleach Brian Collins urged him not to be 'alarmist', adding he had 'a lung-full of those fumes, I don"t think it would make me ill'. Cllr Sweeney thanked the engineer for his detailed report which 'contains half of next year"s local elections issues', he said.