There have been fears amongst elderly residents that three blocks of houses in the estate were to be knocked to make way for an entry road to the island and associated infrastructure such as roundabouts.

“Obviously we are very interested in improving access to St Mary’s Park and one of the ideas, which is just a suggestion, is opening up an entrance at Assumpta Park. In that situation, we would be seeking to purchase a number of houses there but this is all a long way down the line,” he said.

“We have to talk to the residents and get a feel for what they think. We won’t be rushing into any decisions.

We already held similar consultation events in Moyross and Southill last week. Our staff went down and spoke to all residents that came in. We had a great turnout and a largely positive one. We’re very happy with our progress.”

A masterplan for St Mary’s Park will be finished and published at the same time as masterplans for the north and south sides of the city in September.

The masterplans are scheduled to be complete by early September before local authorities and the ambitious plans are intended to go before the relevant Government departments by the end of September.

Mr Kenny is also optimistic that the current climate of recession will not have any impact on the extensive plans.

“I’m confident that whatever we ask for, we will get it. There is no indication that there will be any difficulties and once we get approval and funding, it will be full steam ahead.”

Local Sinn Féin representative, Maurice Quinlivan, said that on a recent visit to Assumpta Park, there was an air of uncertainty.

“There are a lot of elderly people and they are worried about what will happen, especially since many think there is no reason for them to leave. It is one of the nicest areas of St Mary’s Park. Obviously, for the greater good, it may be necessary for some people to move,” he said.

“I think more consultation and clarification is definitely needed—door to door if possible—and anyone who may be affected should be called in for a meeting with the regeneration agency. Unless these issues are cleared up, there will be talk and rumours that can lead to uncertainty and wild speculation.”

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment