Residents of Letterkenny estate want action

CONCERNED residents of a Letterkenny housing estate are expected to meet with Donegal County Council tomorrow (Tuesday) a bid to address fears over anti-social behaviour and much-needed maintenance to the area.

Dozens of people from Elmwood Downs attended a residents’ committee meeting in Arena 7 on Wednesday night last to voice their concerns over the condition of the housing estate. The residents say the park is in urgent need of address and white line markings on the road in the estate have all but faded away, prompting safety fears.

Residents also said there are no speed limit signs in the area and concerns were also mooted over anti-social behaviour with the neighbourhood blighted by severe dog fouling.

The meeting, chaired by Stephen McDevitt, saw the formation of a committee including a chairperson, secretary and treasurer in a bid to step up efforts to secure funding to remedy the run-down parts of the estate.

Speaking at the meeting one resident referred warmly to the area but added up-keep work was badly needed.

“Elmwood Downs is a great place to live and it warrants a safe space for all children play. There are two playgrounds in the area, with one particularly in need of maintenance. A clean up of the play areas is very badly needed.”

Another resident raised concerns over the volume of traffic in and around the area and how road markings in the street were non-existent.
A suggestion was also made around the setting up of a closed Facebook group for the residents in a bid to share information over incidents of possible dubious activity in the area after the meeting also heard concerns that a man, not known to the area, had been acting suspiciously.

Mr McDevitt said he believed people who did not live in the neighbourhood were deliberately bringing their dogs in but not cleaning up after them.

Councillor, Mick Quinn, who attended the meeting, suggested the residents take their maintenance concerns to Council officials.

He moved to reassure the residents that their concerns would be taken on board by the local authority.

“The Town Council did have responsibility for such things like maintenance in the past, but that is not the way anymore now that Town Councils have been dissolved. However, Eugene Devenney who has responsibility in this area would have no problem meeting with you and I suggest you send a delegation to meet with him. I can facilitate this and, if it suits, this can be done over the next coming few days.

“Action like this gives community ownership of the area. This is not only in your community’s interest but also the wider Letterkenny community, which currently has the Tidy Town accolade.”

Another man raised the issue of insurance if members of the community took on essential grass cutting.

“The Town Council used to cut grass, however, the County Council are saying it’s not an option they could take on because they would have to do it all over the county. This is an issue which has come up many times at our Municipal District meetings,” added Mr Quinn.

John Gordon, Stephen McDevitt, Alec Gordon and Joe Carroll, residents, pictured at the Playground in disrepair at Elmwood Downs.

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