Locals left in Limbo

A LOCAL mother-of-five has told of her torment at having to spend yet another Christmas in a flat in the rundown O’Devaney Gardens complex, off the North Circular road.

Gillian McCullagh (33) is angry at news that Dublin City Council is to put the redevelopment of the complex on hold due to lack of funds.

The troubled complex was originally due to be re-built through a public private partnership agreement that collapsed in 2008 when the developers pulled out.

Dublin City Council later decided to carry out its own redevelopment, but this too has now been deferred leaving families left in the area facing an uncertain future.

Many families have already moved from the area in anticipation of the regeneration and Ms McCullagh said she and those remaining are afraid to let their children out because the area is plagued by anti-social behaviour.

“The block that I live in is like a ghost town,

? she told Northside People.

“Houses and flats are being set on fire every weekend.

“There’s nothing here for the kids. I have to keep them indoors all the time because I’d be afraid they’d come across drugs that would be left on the ground. I contacted the council about being re-housed, but they told me that all the plans are up in the air.

?

Ms McCullagh, who has five children, among them a six-month-old baby, said her current living conditions were deplorable and that the apartment was always damp and cold.

“Thankfully none of the kids have asthma or anything like that because the apartment is always damp. There’s always groups of people sitting in their cars in the area on the weekend, blaring music and drinking.

?

Ms McCullagh said she thought she would have been re-housed well in advance of Christmas, but now she has no idea when the council will move her out of the complex.

Dublin City Council said the regeneration plans have been delayed as funding has not been secured to initiate the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens, despite the project receiving planning permission last year.

Dublin North West TD Dessie Ellis (SF) slammed the delay, saying he believes residents have waited long enough for the area to be redeveloped.

Speaking to the Northside People, Deputy Ellis said the current living conditions for some of the families living at O’Devaney gardens were

“appalling

?.

He said the area is plagued with anti-social behaviour and that residents must be re-housed as a matter of urgency.

“The residents have been waiting 15 years for regeneration,

? he said.

“It is wrong that they have to wait a day longer; it is wrong that they have had to endure four years of limbo since the departure of private developers from the plan; but it would be a complete injustice if they have to wait years again for movement of regeneration.

?

He added:

“These families had to live in dilapidated and unfit housing conditions which are now over 60 years old. The area has been under resourced and neglected for years. There remains 44 families in the blocks and many families in accommodation meant to be temporary for the duration of the regeneration works.

?

Deputy Ellis has called on the Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, to engage with the council to reinstate the regeneration of the area as a matter of priority.

“The Minister must direct her attention to resolving cases like that of the O’Devaney Gardens regeneration project which are legacies of the property boom and crash,

? said Deputy Ellis.

“The residents of these areas have waited and can wait no longer.

?

A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said an application was made to An Bord Pleanala in 2010 to construct the first phase of the regeneration.

The plans would comprise 110 residential units, 60 social housing and 50 private housing units.

An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the development. However, the spokesperson said that due to the current financial climate, the council was now unable to advance the first phase of the project.

The spokesperson added that the council experienced difficulties mainly centring around the financing of the private element of the scheme.

The council stated it would not be viable to initiate the regeneration of the area without the private units as this would not be sustainable.

“The City Council is working closely with the remaining 44 tenants of O’Devaney Gardens to assess their housing need and to source new accommodation for them,

? the spokesperson said.