Unfinished business

ONE aspect of housing development that infuriates me is unfinished estates.

All over the country residents are mounting protests against developers who have moved on leaving their last job in a complete mess.

Unscrupulous builders are leaving estates half finished. While this, of course, is morally wrong it is difficult to blame them because our planning laws are not stringent enough and the bonding policy also needs updating. The temptation is there.

But this is no compensation either to the residents or local authorities who have to suffer the consequences. Local authority finances are restricted enough without having to pay for these blatant contraventions of weak laws.

The minister for the environment and local government has an obligation to local authorities to protect them from having to carry the can for fly-by-night developers.

Cllr Noel Collins

St Jude’s

Midleton

Co Cork