Portlaoise residents 'petrified' as abandoned gap between estates infested by rats

Residents of a Portlaoise housing estate have raised major concerns regarding a 'No Man's Gap' being created between their homes and the adjoining estate which is currently under construction, with fears of further rat infestations and antisocial behaviour in the gap.

The new Dargan Woods estate is being built behind Colliers Court on the Borris Road in Portlaoise. A group of residents from Colliers Court have raised alarm over a new wall which is being built to separate the estates.

The wall is being built a couple of metres away from the existing wall at the back of the residents' homes in Colliers Court, creating a gap between the houses.

One resident from Colliers Court said that the ditch already there behind their homes has caused massive problems over the past 20 years, from rat infestations, illegal dumping on the site, as well as antisocial behaviour.

"Myself and my neighbours have had to deal with rats for the last 20 years. We've had problems with rubbish dumping, fly tipping, and drug dealing all behind the wall", she said.

When construction began on the Dargan Woods homes, the resident said that multiple skips were needed to clear the rubbish piled in the ditch.

The residents fear now that the gap between the housing estates will further exasperate these existing issues which they have tried relentlessly for years to resolve.

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The concerned resident said that they were originally told by the builders that a new wall running the length of the estates would be built. However, they realise now that this wall would be built some metres away from theirs.

She said that, essentially, this will create a channel between the two estates which will run from Ashley Gardens down to Colliers Court. The gap will be filled with soil and birch trees, according to what the residents were told.

"The stupidity of it is, had they put in a new wall the whole length of it, it would have given the new residents a bigger back garden. It doesn't make any sense. We're at a loss now as to who can help us out here," she explained.

She admitted that she and her neighbours are "petrified" of what the space will be used for, considering the pre-existing issues with antisocial behaviour, rats and dumping. She also added that this will be a problem for the new residents moving into Dargan Woods.

On top of this, the Colliers Court residents are concerned that the soil and rainwater from the ditch will inevitably seep into their gardens as their fences are not made from bricks.

The resident said she has contacted the contractors about the problem as well as Laois County Council but she has not yet received a response.

Local Portlaoise Councillor, Caroline Dwane Stanley told the Leinster Express that similar situations have unfolded in multiple housing estates in Portlaoise.

The residents contacted Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley about the issues they were having and she said they are not only ones experiencing this.

"This is an issue I have raised on several occasions with Laois County Council, where you have a new development and it boundaries on to an existing development and they leave what's called a 'No Man's Gap' between the two estates. It has caused huge problems in areas", Cllr Dwane Stanley explained.

This has been an issue for residents of the Fairgreen, Newpark, and Woodgrove housing estates in Portlaoise.
One of the main issues with this is, as Cllr Dwane Stanley put it, "nobody wants to take responsibility for the gaps created."

"It unfortunately becomes an area where people use to dump rubbish and for antisocial behaviour. I completely understand the residents' concerns and their worries about what is happening. It beggars beyond belief why this is still happening," the Independent councillor said.

Cllr Dwane Stanley has raised the issue with Laois County Council and it has been referred to the Planning Section. She hopes to get an update soon, but admitted she doesn't think it will be a simple matter to resolve.

"It's not going to be easy to solve now because the planning permission has been granted and the builder's only legal obligation is to adhere to the planning conditions.

"We've asked the Planning Section of Laois County Council to allow the developers to go back to the existing boundary of Colliers Court and not create that gap. To be fair to the builder, he can't put a wall on a boundary he doesn't own."

However, Cllr Dwane Stanley said that she believes the main issue here is the illegal dumping.

"The biggest problem here is whoever is doing the illegal dumping, it's not the builder or the residents who are raising the concerns. But there are others in the area who don't have bins and are dumping rubbish between these gaps.

"The Environmental Section in the council have a role to play there too which is to knock on doors in areas and look for the proof of people who do have bins and who don't."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme