Councillor claims three homes are in danger of collapsing onto Westport car park

A Westport councillor has queried why a housing estate in the town was given the green light by engineers over three decades ago despite not meeting planning conditions.

Monument View, which is built on an embankment, is now at risk of falling into the nearby Mill Street car park, according to Independent Cllr Christy Hyland. He said that when the housing estate was originally built in 1991, it was given planning permission under the condition that a concrete retaining wall be constructed. However, it is instead being held up by a brick wall, built on top of a stone wall. 

Cllr Hyland said there are three properties at risk of collapsing. Currently, the green play area on the estate is blocked off as it is too dangerous for children to play in, the houses are separating inches away from the footpaths, and householders are forced to park their cars away from their homes due to the danger that the embankment will collapse. He fears it is an imminent danger, especially with the heavy rainfall over the last few weeks.

“Mayo Co Council and the developer cannot sit on the fence on this,” he told a meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District. “I can’t understand how an engineer could have signed off on this and allowed the mortgage to be drawn when planning conditions weren’t complied with.” 

Head of the district Padraic Walsh said he was precluded from commenting on the situation at a public meeting, adding that it is a private estate that has not been taken in charge by the council and the common areas inside and outside the estate are still owned by the original developer.