Ashewood bond to be released

News that Ulster Bank is to release the bond held in relation to Ashewood Estate in Ashbourne has been welcomed by local residents, who have been campaigning for works to be completed in their unfinished estate.
Residents representatives met with Meath County Manager Brendan McGrath and a senior executive planner on Friday, in a meeting chaired by Cathoirleach Niamh McGowan.
At the meeting, residents were informed that Ulster Bank had agreed to release the bond to Meath County Council. Outstanding works in the estate include the completion of roads, sewerage, footpaths, public lighting and landscaping.
Residents had been putting pressure on Ulster Bank to release the bond to fund outstandings works and held protests outside the local Ulster Bank branch and also outside the Meath East count centre at Donaghmore/Ashbourne GAA Centre to highlight their plight.
Local councillor Joe Bonner has welcomed the news and said it showed the importance of what can be achieved when people work together.
He added that Meath County Council would now engage a consultant to prepare a bill of quantities for the unfinished works which will then be put out to tender and a contractor will be engaged by mid-August to early September. Cllr Bonner said the works should take four to five months and that the bond would be sufficient to complete substantial works and hopefully all of the works.

Residents Association Chairperson Martin Plummer said the residents are delighted and feel their protests had a big part to play in getting the bond released.

He said once the council has the money, they can put the works out to tender and they are hopeful that the estate will be finished by the end of the year.
Mr Plummer said there is a lot of work to be done but they are hopeful that the bond should go a long way towards finishing it.