Council asked to check whether it's over the upkeep of Tipperary estate's public lights

Tipperary County Council has been asked to investigate whether it has responsibility for public lighting in a housing estate in Carrick-on-Suir that has been in the dark at night for over six weeks.

Cllr Kieran Bourke made the request at Carrick Municipal District’s July meeting on behalf of the residents of Hazel Close, which forms part of the larger Greenhill estate off the Pill Road in Carrick-on-Suir.

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He told the meeting Hazel Close hasn’t yet been “taken in charge” due to difficulties with wayleaves, sewers and water infrastructure but despite this he believed the Council has responsibility over its public lights, which are currently not working.

The Fianna Fáil councillor explained that under the former Carrick-on-Suir Town Council, which was abolished in 2014, the policy was for the Council to take responsibility for public lighting in new estates once they were built.

“What used to happen was that a letter of undertaking would be given by the town clerk that the Council would assume responsibility for payment of public lighting once the developer had put in the public lighting infrastructure in accordance with the ESB.”

He asked Council management to check was this letter of undertaking from Carrick Town Council on the planning file for Hazel Close.

And he pointed out that the public lighting for the estate was being paid up to a few months ago.

He offered to travel to the Council’s Civic Offices in Clonmel to look up the planning file himself if Council officials were too busy.

He cited the example of Orchard Crescent, another estate in Carrick-on-Suir, as having this letter of undertaking on its planning file.

“I remember spending a full day in planning and I found the letter. It took several county council meetings to get the Roads Section to finally agree to pay up for the public lighting even though it (Orchard Crescent) wasn’t taken in charge.

“But the commitment (to pay for public lighting) had been given by Carrick Town Council at the time and I am fairly certain Hazel Close will fall into the same bracket.”

Fellow Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne supported Cllr Bourke’s request.

Cllr Bourke also pointed out that an application to take Hazel Close in charge signed by 75% of the estates residents was submitted to the Council several weeks ago.

Council Senior Executive Planner Caroline Conway said a vacant staff position in the taking-in-charge section was going to be filled. Once that happened, the Council will follow up on Cllr Bourke’s queries and review the Hazel Close taking-in-charge application if it’s deemed to be valid.

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