By Chris Ashmore

A LOCAL councillor has called for a “better safe than sorry” approach regarding the use of community centres and sporting club facilities during bad weather alerts, and especially for those who are living in properties with defective concrete blocks.

Commenting on the recent red weather alert associated with Storm Amy, Cllr Tómas Seán Devine said we are likely to see an increasing number of weather warnings. He said that with many defective block homes deteriorating he feared “it is only a matter of time before we have a tragedy” during bad weather.

He noted that the upgrading to the alert from orange to red was at very short notice and he felt people hadn’t any time to prepare to leave their unfit homes or mobiles.

He believes that by liaising with community centres and clubs, facilities could be used if required.

The issue was raised at Tuesday’s meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District. Cllr Michael McBride seconded the motion to prepare for the use of such centres.

The matter will be referred to the Council’s severe weather alert team.

Meanwhile, the importance of ensuring that trees are monitored and cut down where necessary was also raised by Cllr. Devine.

He noted that during Storm Amy there were some “very near misses” with trees, and added that “it is simply not good enough” that there are lives in danger.

He disclosed that in the Ballymacool estate in Letterkenny local residents had “cut a tree that was broken”.

He stressed that some trees still need attention and there are still some in places overhanging wires and he queried just where responsibility lies with dangerous trees.

Cllr Declan Meehan supported the motion and paid tribute to the Council for the work done after Storm Amy.

He pointed out that trees can impact visually as well from a road safety perspective.

Senior Executive Roads Engineer, David McIlwaine, said that the council had followed up matters with landowners in the aftermath of the last number of storms. The Council had cut up quite a lot of trees and had also invoiced some landowners where it was considered that trees had been considered as an immediate hazard.

“There is a policy, to speak verbally or write to them, or get in contact and follow it through,” he explained.