Hope for Belvedere Hills as taking in charge process advances

Belvedere Hills in Mullingar could finally be taken in charge by Westmeath County Council after years of delays.

Council charge officer Eugene Duffy told the Mullingar-Kinnegad Municipal District that the deed transferring the lands was currently being progressed and that a tender was out for the works required in the estate. He said the council were expecting to receive a price for the remedial works within the following week.

Once the works are completed, the council should be able to obtain the necessary ‘no objection’ letters from Uisce Éireann to allow the estate to be taken in charge.

Cllr Ken Glynn had sought a timeframe for the estate, describing the process as having moved at “snail pace” for a long time.

He said Belvedere Hills had been an issue for him throughout his time as a public representative and that residents were frustrated at the length of time it had taken.

Cllr Glynn said the district had continued to assist residents with issues such as pruning and potholes, but that formally taking the estate in charge remained the priority.

Mr Duffy said that if the outstanding work was completed sooner than expected, he would return to the district with a proposal to take Belvedere Hills in charge separately rather than waiting for it to be included in a wider batch of estates.

He subsequently told Cllr Glynn that he would provide further details on the works once the tender process had been completed.

The Belvedere Hills project is part of a wider effort by Westmeath County Council to deal with older “legacy” estates where roads, footpaths, drainage and other infrastructure have remained outside full council responsibility.

Mr Duffy said he was also working on a number of other legacy estates, including Cluain Lorcain in Delvin, Killucan Manor, Rathgarve Green and Ballynamona.

Trees

At the same meeting, Cllr Andrew Duncan asked that the district office trim the trees in Belvedere Hills. The formal written response to his request stated that Belvedere Hills is not currently in the charge of Westmeath County Council, but that the district would assist, “where possible” to prune trees in the estate.