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08 Sept 2025
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08 Sept 2025
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The Orchard Estate in Stradbally
Laois council officials will meet with residents of an estate where a bond was returned to the developer 13 years before it was taken in charge.
Generally a developer leaves a sizable cash bond with the council prior to commencing work on an estate. Once the work has been completed to the satisfaction of council as set out in the planning application the bond is then returned to the developer.
However, if the developer fails to complete the work to the specifications set out in the planning application, the council can use the bond to complete whatever work remains unfinished.
Fianna Fail Councillor Paschal McEvoy was at a loss to explain why the bond had been returned in the case of The Orchard housing estate in Stradbally.
He had a motion at a recent council meeting asking “that this Council meet the residents at The Orchard Housing Estate, Stradbally to discuss necessary works as a result of the recent taking in charge.”
Senior Executive Engineer, Philip McVeigh said “Laois County Council would be pleased to meet with the residents of the estate to discuss these works.”
Cllr McEvoy said “this estate was only taken in charge in the last few months. There hasn't been a shovel introduced to it since 2010 at this stage.”
“The bond was returned to the developer in 2010, it took from 2010 to 2023 to get it taken in charge. There is an awful lot of small stuff to be done there,” said Cllr McEvoy.
He was unsure why the bond had been returned to the developer prior to the estate being taken in charge. Cllr McEvoy didn't say whether the estate had been completed and ready for taking in charge when the bond was returned in 2010.
He explained that there were issues with lights among other things and said there are about twenty houses in the estate.
Sinn Fein Cllr Aidan Mullins also urged the council to take action at the estate.
“I would have thought that when the estate was taken in charge that all those works would be carried out,” he said.
The issue was discussed at the latest meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.
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