Residents of nine houses in the Ballymacool area of Letterkenny have expressed disappointment that Donegal County Council may not purchase their homes.
Last July, ‘rigorous block testing’ was being carried out ahead of a proposed sale to local authority.
The landlord, Phil Boyle of Twins Estates, said at the time he had been given assurances by the council that they were committed to the purchase under the Tenant in Situ Scheme.
In October 2023, residents had received eviction notices from the company as a result of a planned sale of homes in The Forest estate.
This week, however, residents said they have received official confirmation from the council they may now be unable to go ahead with the sale.
The council said, with the exception of one of the houses, requested clarifications from the landlord’s engineer have not been received.
“As a result, he (council engineer) is not in a position to recommend the acquisition of the remaining properties under the council’s policy,” the council told residents.
In the absence of the requested clarifications, the council added, they had to ‘bring this matter to a conclusion’ and are not in a position to proceed with the proposed sale.
However, the council said it was committed to working with the residents to assist in identifying alternative accommodation.
One resident told Donegal Daily they were ‘very disappointed’ with the latest development.
We have asked the council for an official comment.
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