Archive for February, 2010
Photograph shows Green Party Leader Minister John Gormley with Cllr Cadogan Enright)
The Green Party has selected Councillor Cadogan Enright to contest the South Down Westminster and MLA elections. The South Down Party unanimously nominated him at their recent meeting in Castlewellan.
Responding to his nomination Cllr Enright said: “I am delighted to have been chosen to contest the Westminster election in South Down. I believe that the current economic downturn can be overcome with huge social and environmental benefits in South Down. In Co Down we have over 1300 manufacturing jobs in Green industries. Local politicians have not been playing their part in supporting this growth area. We need a candidate with a strong understanding of the issues involved in growing these industries. I believe I can be that candidate. It is time that we had specific targets for Northern Ireland to reduce its emissions and increase its production of renewable energy. This means insulating homes and reducing fuel bills, creating clean energy whilst also creating jobs, improving air quality thereby improving health. The British / Irish Agreement in 1998 has resolved that the border issue is in the hands of the people. It is now possible for ordinary people to put aside traditional allegiances and vote for real change in the way we manage our lives.”
Green Party Leader and Minister for Local Government and the Environment in the Republic John Gormley welcomed the selection of Cllr Cadogan Enright and said “Cadogan is a fantastic organiser and is a great choice to fight this election in South Down. His experience as Green Party election director in 2005 and 2007 in getting Greens elected will be invaluable in this context. The upcoming Westminster election is vital in building a support base for our candidates ahead of the next Assembly elections in 2011. The Assembly elections are based on the same constituencies but have six seats and based on the more equitable transferable vote system. Thus this election can help us build up towards winning more Green Party MLA seats in N.I.”
Also welcoming the decision, North Down Green Party MLA Brian Wilson said: “Cadogan was my election agent when we won our first MLA seat at the last elections. The party in South Down has made an excellent choice. Cadogan is hard working, dynamic and enthusiastic and I have no doubt he would make an excellent MP for South Down.”
“The objective of other parties fighting in this election is simply to beat each other. The Green Party offers real solutions for a new world that have already delivered over 1000 real Green jobs in County Down. This can be built on if there was a political will to do so,” concluded the South Down Green Party Candidate Cllr Cadogan Enright.
Press Coverage
: Green Party enters Westminster fray in South Down for first time, Greens Select Enright for Upcoming Elections, Enright to stand in South Down, Greens pick Downpatrick councillor, Enright to fight South Down election for Greens.
Down Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright praised local conservation group Lecale Conservation who organised the very successful art exhibition that finished in Downpatrick Library last week. More than 20 local amateur and profession Artists supported the exhibition, and many pictures were sold over fortnight.
Lecale Conservation were highlighting odd proposals from the Department of the Environment to retract the Area for Outstanding Beauty Status for parts of the coast between Killough and Dundrum.
Cllr Enright said “The insanity of areas like Tyrella, Minerstown and Rossglass losing their Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status – while the ASDA car park and McDonald’s fast food are proposed to take their place speaks for itself!”
“This fantastic response by local artists reflects overwhelming community opposition to this foolish proposal by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). Now the consultation period is over local people and the statutory who opposed this proposal are awaiting the decision of the NIEA to see if the 100% opposition to the proposal during the consultation period has been taken into account,” concluded Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright.
Press Coverage
Green Party members Kenneth Martin, Cllr Cadogan Enright and Pat Ward under the railway bridge.
Down Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright expressed grave concern at the manner in which the Roads Service is failing to upkeep the stone-built railway bridge on the road to Crossgar out of Ballynahinch.
Cllr Cadogan Enright said, “Pedestrians approaching the bridge from the Ballynahinch side will find that the pathway opens up into a sudden 14ft drop owing to the failure to upkeep the parapet. The pathway on the Crossgar side also leads to an 8ft drop where the parapet has been side-swiped by an articulated lorry. This area is also used for rough drinking.”
“I have contacted the Roads Service and demanded immediate repairs as someone could easily be killed or seriously injured. Furthermore I have contacted Community Police officers regarding the drinking problem,” said Cllr Enright.
Cadogan Enright argued for the preservation of local railway lines. He said, “Local Green Party members have managed to persuade the Roads Service to remove ivy and stop trees growing into the stonework of the bridge. However we have concerns that the Roads Service may see this unique part of our railway heritage and infrastructure as expendable maybe as part of the Ballynahinch bypass proposals. This would be entirely unacceptable, as throughout Britain, Ireland and in Europe as a whole there is a clear planning imperative to preserve the railway infrastructure and not to build on railway lines as more and more railways are coming back into operation. In the Down District we have already seen for a track to be built on in Crossgar, we cannot compound this problem by demolishing railway bridges as well.”
“Whatever the long term plans the Roads Service has a duty to maintain this bridge in a manner that does not present a threat to life and limb,” concluded Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright.
Press Cuttings: 'Railway bridge gap exposes 14ft drop,' warns Greens.
The Green Party has been campaigning to have street lighting installed at a ‘rat run’ linking the Ballynahinch / Crossgar Road through the village of Listooder to the Belfast / Crossgar Road. Children and the older generation use this road regularly when getting off the bus at the top of this road and walk down into Listooder.
Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright said “The Green Party are concerned as this piece of road is particularly dangerous during the winter months and darker evenings when school children, the elderly and Listooder locals have to walk down this road with no lighting or illumination and no footpath or verges to walk on with room for only one car to pass at a time”.
Cadogan Enright said “I have written to the Department for Regional Development (DRD), responsible for street lighting, expressing my concerns on this matter. I received a reply stating that this road does not meet the criteria for getting street lighting. I was told that the road must have a significant accident history before being considered. I feel this is a completely unacceptable response in which local people have simply been told that they have to wait for someone to be seriously injured or worse before they can even be considered.”
Local resident Jeanetta Harper said “I was totally stunned at the department’s reply saying that there had not been enough serious accidents or not enough development on Listooder Road to warrant the street lights being brought up a bit further to the bus stop. I feel that Listooder is being discriminated against. I have heard that plenty of work is carried out in rural areas, Drumaness got approximately 22 lights installed and Brennans garage area got extra lights recently.”
“Firstly there is not enough room for 10 houses they require on this small bit of road leading from the bus stop on the hill past the Orange Hall down to the village. Secondly saying that they are waiting for an accident to happen on a road which is a rat run for Ballynahinch is TRULY unbelievable. There isn’t even a footpath and the road is only one car width at the junction with the main road. When I am cutting grass outside my house (which I believe is the responsibility of DARD) I have had many close shaves,” said Jeanette Harper.
Councillor Enright concluded, “I created a petition for local residents in which they were able to collect the signatures of over 70 local people in protest of this response from the DRD. We sent this to the DRD and still they have refused to act. Listooder has grown considerably in the past 20 years, vehicles travel up to the main road. Lights and a footpath are seriously needed. I am seeking an on-site inspection with the officials concerned”.
Press Cuttings: Listooder road safety concerns.
