Back lanes not resurfaced in 45 years in big Laois housing estate

The back lanes in one of Laois' biggest council built housing estates have not been resurfaced in 45 years, a local councillor says.

St Brigid's Place in Portlaoise has hundreds of terraced houses that get access to their rear gardens by the laneways.

Cllr Thomasina Connell is calling for them to be resurfaced early in 2023, in a motion tabled to the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

She said that the lanes are the subject of a funding application by the residents association, which must be prioritised to ensure it gets funding over other applications.

"My motion follows an examination with Wes Wilkinson [are engineer] of the problem. They haven't been resurfaced for 45 years. I know Cllr Dwane Stanley had an involvement too. When I raised this with the roads department I was told I need to seek priority. I'm told there is a priority one and two.

"It is decades since the back lanes have been resurfaced. They look tatty. In fairness the residents association has re-formed and the residents are doing great work. Please can it be allocated for the lanes," she asked. 

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Her motion requests that the district make the works a priority, in the allocation of Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) funding for 2023.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley seconded and said she had previously viewed the lanes with the engineer.

"A huge amount of the back lanes in St Brigid's need to be resurfaced. The new residents association filled out an application for the whole area, but I am mindful that a huge amount of backlanes need to be done. Other areas have applied for the same funding. Are we doing St Brigid's in phases? Will there be enough money to do them? Well done to the residents association, it is great to see a new group come together," she said.

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In reply Mr Wilkinson said that Laois County Council's roads section expects to hear by March how much it will get for the Community Involvement Scheme for 2023. 

"The back lanes of St Brigid's will be examined once funding details are received," he said.