Work on unfinished Kildare estate set to go to tender
The developer in the estate went into receivership
AN UPDATE has been given on the Friary estate in Castledermot, with it emerging that further progress on the estate is subject to the availability of staff resources at Kildare County Council (KCC). The local authority is currently short of an engineer for the project.
In 2024, funding of €4.2 million was secured and allocated by KCC to complete 14 unfinished homes and 2 additional social homes in the estate. At the most recent meeting of Athy Municipal District, Cllr Aoife Breslin asked if the council could provide an update on the taking in charge of the estate, which is the process by which a developer formally hands responsibility for an estate to the local authority.
A report issued by Liam McNeela, senior executive engineer in building and development at Kildare County Council, said: “The Friary forms part of the legacy portfolio of estates which are being dealt with under the legacy estate remediation project. Site investigations have been undertaken and a comprehensive surface defects list developed as part of the site resolution plan.”
Mr McNeela provided further detail on the next stage of the project.
“The next stage involves tender preparation and tendering of works including surface defect repairs, drainage repairs and road surfacing throughout. Further progress is subject to the availability of staff resources within the legacy estates team. Once the required works are complete, the statutory process for Taking in Charge can be advanced.”
A council representative present at the meeting noted that they are currently down an engineer.
Cllr Breslin remarked that work on the estate “is probably going in since I was first elected”, with it being joked that she was first elected in 1973.
The Friary estate development began in 2005 but was left in an incomplete state in 2008 when the developer went into receivership.
Cllr Breslin noted that she’s been hounding Mr McNeela and his team about estates and said that they are doing great work.
