Site works on huge Athlone estate ‘a short number of weeks away’

At a recent Westmeath County Council meeting, an Athlone councillor voiced disappointment that work had still not started on the 576-house 'Plovers Wood’ estate at Kilnafaddoge, in the Lissywollen area of Athlone.

"Contracts were signed before Christmas, and construction was due to start in quarter one of this year," said Cllr Frankie Keena, who pointed out that the date of the council meeting – March 31 – actually marked the end of the first quarter.

He added that he would have liked to have seen the Minister for Housing attend to turn a sod to mark the start of construction by now.

When contacted by the Westmeath Independent, Thomas Freeman of developer Alanna Homes, which is behind the 576-unit project in Lissywollen, said the start of the construction work was drawing closer.

"We think it will be just a short number of weeks away," said Mr Freeman. "I wouldn't want to give a date, but we're certainly nearing (the start of construction) at this stage."

At the council meeting Cllr Aengus O’Rourke who expressed concern about another Athlone housing development, Greally Park in Arcadia.

"I noticed that work has slowed to a halt at Greally Park," said Cllr O'Rourke. "I'm just concerned that that development of 20-odd houses was due to be finished by now," he said, saying he has doubts that anyone will have succeeded in moving in by the end of this year.

"Are we still on track for redevelopment at Blackberry Lane? Have the Blackberry Lane development meetings still been progressing?" he also asked.

Cllr Paul Hogan also remarked that it had come to his attention that the council has no family homelessness services in Athlone at all.

"There is certainly a need for a family homelessness hub and I've been informed that there may be one coming," he said, asking for an update on this, adding that the demand is there on the ground at present.

"I certainly would like to hear some emphasis put on family homelessness. It's an area that is certainly under-referred to in a lot of the media circles nationally."

Responding to the points raised, director of services, Jackie Finney stated that the Kilnafaddoge/Lissywollen development was progressing. She said there had been a delay due to an Uisce Éireann matter, but that this was being resolved.

"I can't give you an exact date for a sod turning, but hopefully it should be in the next couple of months," she stated.

On the subject of Greally Park, Ms Finney said she flagged in December that there was a delay in terms of services, service connections and Uisce Éireann connections, but these had now been resolved. She stated that, although the project had been slightly delayed, it was progressing now.

On the Blackberry Lane query, Ms Finey said staff from the council’s housing section had met with each individual family to look at the revised plans.

"I suppose what's needed is a certain level of agreement by all the families and that process is ongoing," she said, admitting that it was unlikely anything was going to happen “in the very short term”.

Ms Finney went on to state that efforts were underway to develop "family hubs" for those facing homelessness in Westmeath, and to that end, the local authority was liaising with the department on the question of funding.