People power forces flats demolition
Cork Corporation councilors under the watchful eyes of over fifty
residents and community activists voted on Monday night to reject
a developer's plan for the Blackpool flats and instead to write
to the Minister for the Environment calling for their demolition.
The campaign for the flats demolition has been ongoing for a
number of years and has cropped up as an election issue numerous
times. Promises have been made but never kept.
On Monday night supporters of the developer's plan, realising
they were on a loser, tried in vain to defer a decision to allow
further negotiations. The charge was led by Fine Gael's Liam
Burke and backed by Tim Brosnan of Fianna Fail. However the
presence of many angry residents left those thinking of reneging
on promises in no doubt but that this was a defining moment in
voter terms. Councillors who had no trouble in backpedalling on
service charges and screwing Cork house holders suddenly spoke
eloquently of the wishes of the people needing to be respected.
Liam Burke's motion fell despite a plea from the City Manager,
who was very offended that anyone should doubt his wisdom.
The motion having died a death, the proposal to demolish was
passed unopposed. Sinn Féin in Cork has consistently backed the
residents and made an issue of the demolition in every election
fought over the past number of years.
Don O'Leary of Cork Sinn Féin has welcomed the decision by the
Corporation to apply to the Minister for the Environment for
funding to demolish Blackpool Flats. Don O'Leary said:
``Finally we seem to be reaching an end to this long sorry saga.
It's a compliment to the people of Blackpool who have campaigned
so resolutely for this for many years. People power has won out.
This is an example for other communities in the city that through
self organisation and commitment the will of the people can be
upheld.''
``The minister must act with haste now to ensure that the flats
are demolished and made simply a bad memory.''
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