Council may have to pay for ‘abandoned’ estates

CORK CITY could be facing a massive bill for finishing dozens of housing estates which have been abandoned by developers.

The news emerged yesterday after city councillors were told that a bond lodged by a developer almost a decade ago on an estate which has still not been finished, will not cover the cost of the outstanding work.

The council is planning to do the work on the Chapel Gate and Kempton estates in Ballyvolane before it takes it in charge.

But the work will cost the city at least €15,000.

City manager Joe Gavin confirmed that legal proceedings are under way to lodge a formal claim on a €38,092 surety bond lodged by the developers O’Mahoney Developments Ltd. The index-linked bond expires at the end of May.

But despite protracted negotiations between council officials and the developers, the work needed to finish the estate to a standard which would allow the council take it over, has not been done.

The cost of the outstanding works has been estimated at €53,000, Mr Gavin said.