Greystones councillors angry over plan to buy cottage

WICKLOW County Council and its elected members are in dispute over council negotiations to buy back a former council cottage, which it sold in 1982 for £150, for the current market value of £80,000.

Greystones area councillors say the council wants to house a travelling family in the cottage.

A Fianna Fail councillor, Mr Dick Roche, said he and a fellow councillor, Mr George Jones (FG) learned of the move "only by gossip". He has criticised the council for "failing to inform the elected representatives of its plan".

Cllr Roche said he did not want to see a travelling family housed in the area "at the expense of the local residents".

The county secretary, Mr Brian Doyle, confirmed that the council was negotiating to buy the former labourer's cottage at Lower Kindlestown "at the current market value", but said nothing had yet been agreed.

Mr Doyle said the council had originally decided to sell the vested cottage in 1964, and a valuation of £150 was agreed. Problems arose with the title of the land and the sale eventually went through only in 1982, for the agreed price.

Mr Doyle said the council saw the current negotiation as part of its normal duties in buying or building houses throughout the county. Greystones was identified as one area where it would need to buy.

On the purchase price, Mr Doyle said property values had risen considerably in recent years and this cottage was "now in a very central location close to the supermarket. It is only normal practice that we would have to pay the market value of a property," he said.

Mr Doyle added that the negotiations were "the subject of local gossip and rumour that the council intended to house a local travelling family in the cottage." The council had "plenty of candidates for housing in the area". He agreed that a travelling family was among those waiting for homes in the area.