Four major projects in Offaly receive funding boost from Local Property Tax increase
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Four major projects are to receive a significant funding boost from the money ringfenced from the increase in the 2021 local property tax (LPT).
In September 2019, Offaly County Council voted to increase the local property tax by 15 per cent. It was the first change to the tax in the county since its inception in 2013 and was the highest increase permitted by law.
Following the increase of 2020, it was recommended that the 15 per cent increase be applied again in 2021 and a pot of money, totalling €742,378 was ringfenced to fund these four major projects across the county and enabled the local authority to leverage central Government funding of over €3.1 million for capital projects of “scale” across the county.
Demolition of Shannonbridge Power Station is looking likely despite opposition in Offaly
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23 Apr 2021 Shannonbridge power station closed down in December and there are fears the state-of-the-art multi-million euro facility will be demolished. );
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The demolition of Shannonbridge Power Station is looking likely, in spite of considerable opposition to the move at a local level.
Local councillors are fearful that the ESB has made up its mind to proceed with the destruction of the multi-million Euro, state of the art facility regardless of what anyone thinks.
Cllr John Clendennen told the April meeting of Birr Municipal District that the councillors and other interested parties have been waiting a long time for a positive response from the ESB but have so far heard nothing. During the summer, commented Cllr Clendennen, a number of councillors had a zoom meeting with the ESB, expressing our concern about the matter. The sound and visual quality of that zoom me
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CCTV introduced in Offaly cemetery due to awful dumping
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Illegal dumping in our cemeteries is a significant problem at the moment and councillors have condemned it as being “awful” and betraying “a narrow mindset”.
Cllr John Leahy told last week s meeting of Birr Municipal District that CCTV cameras will have to be introduced in some graveyards to tackle the problem. “It s been very upsetting to hear about the rubbish dumping in local graveyards over recent weeks,” he said.
Mary Hussey, of the Environment section in the County Council, told the Councillors that Area Engineer John Mitchell is working on installing CCTV cameras in Clonoghill cemetery in Birr, where there have been a lot of complaints in recent weeks. Cllr Leahy said all the councillors would be very happy to hear that because it has been a big issue and the councillors have been getting a lot of complaints from the public.
Angry councillors seeking higher fines for waste offenders in Offaly
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Angry local councillors in Offaly are fed up with the massive amount of illegal dumping and fly tipping taking place in our countryside and are demanding higher fines for the offenders.
Every councillor during the monthly meeting of Birr Municipal District said the level of dumping was appalling and sterner action needs to be taken.
They pointed out that the current fines are not enough of a deterrent to offenders and need to be significantly raised.
Cllr Eamon Dooley said the nub of the problem is that offenders are being prosecuted under the Litter Pollution Act when they should instead be prosecuted under the Waste Management Act. Under the former people cannot be fined any more than €150. Under the latter there s a maximum fine of €5,000.