Independent councillor in Offaly calls on council to be more proactive on Tullamore issues

"I will be asking the newly elected Council to take a more hands on approach to the many serious issues facing Tullamore town centre.    Tullamore is falling behind other Midland towns such as Portlaoise, Mullingar and Athlone.  The Council must set out a plan which will help to restore Tullamore town centre to its previous position as a thriving retail area.    Many local residents now have to travel to other towns to do some of their shopping as specific items are not for sale here, people are going to other Midland towns and even to Newbridge and Dublin.    Too many planning decisions are going against town centre developments and while I respect the independence of the planning office we simply have to find a way to encourage  and support investment in our town.    We need an open arms approach to potential investors" outlined Cllr O' Brien.

"Derelict buildings are to be seen in many of our streets with many there for years on end.  I have asked on many occasions for direct action to be taken by the Council about this issue and to send out a clear message that we will not tolerate it any longer; the Council has the power to take action and people are asking for it to be done.    There are generous grants available to restore old buildings as housing and if owners are not willing to avail of these grants then the Council must act swiftly," continued Cllr O' Brien.

"The Council must also take a lead role in improving the appearance of our town and the many estates on the outskirts.    The Tullamore Tidy Towns group do fantastic work but they are just volunteers and their resources are limited.  Weed control is a major issue and more resources must be committed by the Council.  Many Council workers have retired and have not been replaced and I am asking that recruitment of general operative workers should commence immediately.  Residents associations need help and support from Council staff especially residents in new housing estates who wish to set up a Residents Association; I have seen some estates, even Council estates, where the grass is overgrown and there are weeds, brambles and dumping.  We simply cannot abandon communities.    Back lanes in traditional housing estates are not being maintained and this leads to people using the areas as places where they can dump.    The Council must simply take a leadership role on these issues and employ more resources to get this work done," concluded Cllr O' Brien.