This article is from page 24 of the 2011-10-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
RESIDENTS of Cappahard have expressed disappointment over the amount of money allocated to the area under Ennis Town Council’s Priming Grants scheme.
Eleven housing estates comprising 264 houses are located in Cappahard on the Tulla Road. The area was initially given € 300 to help cover grass cutting and maintenance costs under the latest round of priming grants announced in September.
Angela Coll, a spokesperson for residents, explained that € 600 will now be allocated to the area. However, Ms Coll explained that residents feel this allocation is unfair as peo- ple living in Cappahard have spent € 3,000 on maintenance,
She explained, “In June of 2011, Whitepark Developments Ltd., the developers of several estates within the townland of Cappahard, went into liquidation leaving the residents of the estates to fend for themselves with regard to the grass cutting and general maintenance of the estate until Ennis Town Council take over the development on some future date.”
She continued, “In June, the residents met to discuss the situation and decided to collect a sum of € 25 per household to assist us in covering the cost of the grass cutting and weed control for the summer of 2011. We also applied for eight separate amen- ity/priming grants for the various areas in the estate.”
Ms Coll stated, “To date, the residents in Cappahard have spent in excess of € 3,000 on maintenance of the estate and we feel strongly that we should not be discriminated against.”
In a submission to the council, the residents offer a comparison between the award of priming grants to estates in Tobertascáin and Cappahard. It states, “These three estates have received separate priming grants from Ennis Town Council over the past number of years and it is our belief that they do not differ substantially in any way from the estates on the Tulla Road which we represent.”
Residents have appealed to local councillors to support their calls for greater funding. In a letter, Ms Coll states, “It would seem unjust that so many estates with such a large number of houses would be granted only one payment for maintenance of a large amount of green and landscaped areas when other estates with as few as 10 houses are successfully applying for and being granted equal amounts for a considerably smaller acreage.”
In a report issued in September, the council stated that the payment of grants is subject to submission by the residents associations of receipts. According to the report, the maximum grant payable is € 300, based on expenditure of € 600.