Controversy in Offaly town as 17 premises left out of repainting scheme
A SCHEME to repaint properties in Clara received 40 applications.
At the May meeting of Tullamore Municipal Distrit Senior Executive Officer, Jean Ryan said half are ready to go.
Councillor Frank Moran, said that about 17 properties who applied for the scheme were unsuccessful. He said this was a pilot scheme and won't be available next year.
Cllr Moran said those that were refused will make an ''absolute shambles,'' of the streetscape.
''You will have two painted and then another one not. We will have periodic properties that are left. ''The worst thing is the majority of those that were refused were ratepayers and they are up in arms over it. Can we write to the department so we can get the whole town painted?'' he asked.
Responding Ms Ryan said that if further funding becomes available and it works out to be value for money then those people will be on the list.''
Councillor Ken Smollen said the Clara Tidy Towns committee did a fantastic job visiting property owners and getting them to agree to having their properties painted.
''But there was total shock and disappointment in Clara amongst those property owners and Clara Tidy Towns when Offaly County Council sent out letters to these people looking for payment in advance, which had never been mentioned beforehand,'' he said.
Ms Ryan said payment in advance was the best way of completing the scheme. ''Anyone who pays for the work to be done whether by local or otherwise will be refunded from the fund immediately once a receipt is submitted,'' she said.
Councillor Smollen said many of those that had signed up for that ''simply would not not be able to come up with the money and they weren't told about this money to be paid upfront, There seems to be a lack of communication there. It's vital that the Clara Tidy Towns are contacted about that. They really put themselves forward there and did a fantastic job visiting all these people. You need to discuss this with Clara Tidy Towns so the situation can be resolved. I can see a major stall because a lot of these property owners will pull the plug on this,'' he added.