Archive for the 'Ballynahinch/Spa' Category

GREENS WELCOME REPAIRS ON RAILWAY BRIDGE

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on September 3, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Crossgar, Mark McCormick and Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads
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Mark McCormick and Cllr Enright at railway bridge, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Down Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has welcomed the news that Roads Service has undertaken maintenance work on the stone-built railway bridge on the road to Crossgar out of Ballynahinch.

Local Green Party coordinator Mark McCormick said, “Pedestrians approaching the bridge from the Ballynahinch side found find that the pathway opened up into a sudden 14ft drop owing to the failure to upkeep the parapet. The pathway on the Crossgar side also led to an 8ft drop where the parapet has been side-swiped by an articulated lorry and this area was used for drinking.”

“I contacted the Roads Service and demanded immediate repairs as someone could easily have been killed or seriously injured. I have since received news that work has been undertaken to improve the state for the bridge and fix the existing damage. I welcome this announcement and thank the persons responsible for their work”, said Mr McCormick.

Cllr Enright commended Mark McCormick for following up on this issue over the last few months and thanked local Green Party member Kenneth Martin for highlighting the situation.

“It is vital that we conserve our railway heritage as all over Ireland and Britain old railways are being revived and restored. The Green Party in Government in the Republic of Ireland has played a part in reactivating the Cork to Cobh line, Limerick to Ennis and Galway lines, the Dublin to Naas line and appears to have succeeded in keeping the west coast interconnector from Cork all the way up to Sligo with a feasibility study to connect Donegal town to Derry.

“If we preserve the railway infrastructure in County Down we keep open the possibility of our own railways being reopened in the future” concluded Cllr Enright.

GREEN PARTY OBJECT TO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON MOSS ROAD

Published
by
John Hardy
on August 19, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Mark McCormick, Planning issues and illegal development, Pollution, Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
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Local Green Party Co-ordinator Mark McCormick

Local Green Party Co-ordinator Mark McCormick

Green Party Local cordinator Mark McCormick has objected to a proposal for a housing development in the Moss Road area of Ballynahinch on the following grounds:

•The Moss Road is used as a rat run and already struggles to cater for the heavy traffic it is subjected with. If 35 dwellings are going to be built on this road how does the developer expect to have heavy machinery and building equipment moved up and down the road and how will residents trying to enter and exit their properties cope with this? Carlisle’s Fresh Foods and the playing fields also mean that this road is used for parking on both sides making it difficult for even one car to make its way along the road. This leads to congestion and it has become so bad that residents have complained there are days they cannot even have their bins emptied as the bin lorry cannot even make it down the road. This shows that there is simply no road network infrastructure to deal with an additional housing development on the Moss Road. The road would have to be extended yet there is no scope as to how this will be done in the application. The application simply states it will widen the road but has not made clear as to where and how this will be done.

•There is currently no access to this site from the Moss Road yet the application proposes the Moss Road as a potential access. The drop from the Moss Road to this site is almost 3 metres so if a site access was to be created an area of the site would have to be raised to this height. Doing this will cause massive disruption to traffic and access to properties of existing residents and I have already highlighted the already existing problems of congestion, in which this will only add to.

•The proposed dwellings are meant to fit into the character of the existing area yet these houses are all set to be two stories. There are no two storey houses on the Moss Road and even on the Belfast Road and so I would dispute that these developments will fit into the character of the area.

•The Moss Road is a north facing road and in the winter the ice does not thaw making the road extremely dangerous. Increasing more traffic on this road will increase the risk of accidents and massively reduce road safety. Also the proposed entrance to the development is close to a bend so any cars that get caught in the ice and unable to break will be heading straight for this entrance which could lead to collisions.

•The playing fields next to this site use to be the town dump which was covered over in the late 1960s. This dump was never cleared and so waste and polluting discharges are currently seeping into the stream and marshes on the proposed site via a drainage pipe. Although it is not the responsibility of the Planning Service to deal with the pollution it is certainly worth noting that this pollution will have an effect on the land the developments would be built on and would be a persistent problem and health threat to any residents in the proposed dwellings.

Pollution from spring at Moss Road site

Pollution from spring at Moss Road site

•The field is prone to flooding and rain water from the Moss Road flows down into the south west of the site. This has not been considered in the planning application and I note that the proposed Bio Disc sewage system is to be positioned at the south west corner of the site. The Bio Disc system would therefore be in an unsuitable location.

•The Down Ards Area Plan 2015 has highlighted a number of other areas in Ballynahinch suitable for housing which have not been developed yet. These are the areas where housing developments should be sought, not in an area such as this application where there are a number of factors making it unsuitable. There are already many empty houses in Ballynahinch town and new estates built on the Riverside Road.

•Prior to the PAC decision, removing this area from the LLPA, it was stated that the area was in the interests of nature conservation and facilitated wildlife linkages within urban and wider countryside areas. How has this changed? The development of this site will destroy any wildlife and nature that is of priceless value to this area. The Moss Road is known for the beautiful view over this site and the drumlin landscape of Ballynahinch. Destroying this character area and green field site will damage the value of the houses on the Moss Road and the very identity of the landscape reducing house prices and living quality of all.

•It is clear that there are many problems with this site and planning application and I do not feel the applicant has properly analysed the plausibility of this site. This is clearly evident in the fact that the applicant has spelt Ballynahinch wrongly as ‘Ballinahinch’ throughout the plans showing that this was a rushed job and the full considerations of the site and residents of the Moss Road have not been taken into account.

GREEN PARTY EXPRESSES DISMAY OVER ABANDONED CAR

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on August 19, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Council, Littering/Vandalism/Crime and Mark McCormick
. 0 Comments


Stolen car abandoned at Windmill Gardens, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Mark McCormick, Green Party coordinator in Ballynahinch, expressed dismay over a car in good condition having been rolled down the embankment at Windmill Gardens.

Mark McCormick said ‘This car had not been reported stolen so is not being dealt with by the police. It is up to date with tax, etc. I contacted my party colleague Cadogan Enright at the request of local people to see if the Council could rescue the vehicle before it becomes vandalized and unusable.

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright said “Environmental Health Officer Richard Henry is dealing with this matter and I would call upon local people to keep an eye on the vehicle until it can be safely recovered. This may take as long as seven days.”

“I share Mark McCormick’s dismay that neither the police nor the Council appear to be able to rescue abandoned motor vehicles in a timely manner. I intend to bring this up at the Down Policing Partnership meetings, as at the minimum it would seem sensible to phone the person who has taxed the vehicle to warn them that their car is in trouble, rather than just waiting for the seven day statutory period to expire”, concluded Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright.

GREEN CANDIDATE SAVES BADGER AND CONDEMNS DUP RECORD ON SNARING

Published
by
Mark McCormick
on April 28, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
. 0 Comments

Green Party Westminster Candidate for Strangford Barbara Haig is highlighting issues of animal welfare during her election campaign, and the DUP’s appalling record on this matter.

Barbara Haig said, “Only last Sunday I was called out to organise the rescue of a young badger on the Belfast Road at Ballynahinch that had been horribly injured by a snare. “The badger had managed to pull the snare away from its fixing point but was choking and collapsed into a garden pond. The snare had entirely cut through its skin around its throat and it was starving.”

Barbara Haig continued, “Snaring is totally random in wildlife it traps and results in prolonged suffering and a slow, agonising death. On another occasion I witnessed a domestic cat losing its leg as a result of getting trapped in a snare.”

“Snares are sold around the constituency and in Ballynahinch I know that primary school children are able to by them for as cheap as 80 pence.”

She condemned DUP’s Jonathan Bell saying, “He has only been appointed to replace Iris Robinson in Strangford at the Assembly, but he is already pursuing the same narrow anti-environmental agenda as Iris and Jim Shannon – by voting to keep snares available on public sale.”

The results of a recent poll, published by the League Against Cruel Sports and carried out by Ipsos MORI, has shown overwhelming support for a total ban on snares in Northern Ireland with 82% of those polled thinking the use of snares should be made illegal. So barbaric are snares that only 17 percent of people where aware that they are still legal as it was commonly assumed they had been banned.

A recent vote by the Stormont Environment Committee successfully passed an amendment to the Wildlife & Natural Environment (NI) Bill. But Barbara said “The so-called ‘Countryside Alliance is now waging a campaign against the majority of MLA’s on the Environment committee for doing what the overwhelming majority of the public want”.

Commenting on the recent vote at Stormont Barbara Haig said, “I would like to condemn politicians like our local Mr Jonathon Bell MLA who recently voted to retain snaring in N.I. . No thanks to him, but the operation late Sunday night to extract the snare from the skin of the badger was successful, and we will be releasing this animal again into the wild in the next few weeks when it has regained some weight”, Concluded Green Party Strangford Westminster candidate Barbara Haig.

GAP ON RAILWAY BRIDGE EXPOSES 14 FOOT DROP DANGER TO PEDESTRIANS

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on February 19, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Pat Ward and Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads
. 0 Comments

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.

GREEN PARTY SUPPORTS RESIDENTS OBJECTIONS TO BALLYNAHINCH FLATS

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on October 8, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Planning issues and illegal development and Working with other Parties
. 0 Comments

Members of the Chestnut Meadows Residents Association with South Down MLA, Jim Wells and the Green Party Councillor, Cadogan Enright, in front of the under-construction apartment blocks they are opposed to.

The Green Party are supporting the newly formed Chestnut Meadows Residents Association which has formed in objection of two large three-storey apartment blocks which are currently under construction on the adjacent Riverside Road.

Spokesperson for the community group Mr Tim Chalmers said, “The local residents are absolutely astounded by the scale and overbearing nature of these apartment blocks which are totally out of keeping with the area in size, form and finish.”

Mr Chalmers said residents were also concerned about issues such as sewerage provision and road safety.

Residents are also concerned over rumours that the developer is in negotiations about selling the site.

Cllr Cadogan Enright said, “Aside from the legitimate concerns of local residents about the size, scale and overpowering nature of what is being built, it must be said that the furtherest outskirts of the town on Riverside Road is not an appropriate location for social housing. This development seems to be going back to the old Craigavon days of putting vunerable people with no transport miles away from the social and commercial supports that they need.”

“This appears to be planning via the back door with no consultation with local people about what is proposed for their area,” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings Residents object to Ballynahinch flats.

FOREST SERVICE ADMITS HABITAT WAS DESTROYED

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on June 26, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows the recent operation carried out in Drumkeeragh Forest, which led to the destruction of habitat during frog spawning season.

The Green Party has expressed disappointment at the response it has received from the Forest Service regarding a recent operation it carried out in Drumkeeragh Forest, which led to the destruction of habitat during frog spawning season.

The Forest Service originally claimed that no habitat or frogspawn was destroyed. However in a letter received by the Forest Service to the Green Party they have admitted that frogspawn was in fact destroyed but that they were unaware at the time.

The Forest Service also stated that they plan operations with compliance of the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme, a scheme accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council under sustainable forest management. Under this scheme the environmental requirements are comprehensive and so the Forest Service should take their role in environmental protection and enhancement seriously.

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright believes however that the recent destruction of frogspawn during spawning season over the last two years shows hypocrisy on part of the Forest Service.

Cllr Enright said, “If the Forest Service claims to be bound by the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme and Sustainable Forest Management then they really should learn about the different seasons in which our wildlife and biodiversity are at their most vulnerable.”

“I was very disappointed with the response I received from the Forest Service. First of all they would not admit to the destruction of the habitat and no apology was given or assurance that this destruction of habitat would never happen again.”

The Green Party will work to protect our fragile environment and hold those government agencies, bound to protect it, to account of their actions,” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings: Green Councillor hits out over Drumkeeragh frogspawn response

GREEN EU CANDIDATE VISITS BALLYNAHINCH

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on May 28, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, 5. EVENTS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, EURO CAMPAIGN and Pat Ward
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Green EU Candidate Steven Agnew (centre) flanked by Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright (left) and Local Green Party Co-ordinator Pat Ward in Ballynahinch.

Steven Agnew, The Green Party EU Candidate, made a final campaign visit to Ballynahinch last week.

DOWN Councillor Cadogan Enright thanked Steven Agnew for travelling down to support the local campaign and thanked Pat Ward for bringing so many people out for support on the day.

Steven Agnew commented about the extraordinary level of pollution incidents on the Ballynahinch River emanating from the mismanagement of sewage facilities and daily traffic jams through the town creating rat runs throughout the mid down area.

Steven Agnew said, “It is preposterous that 5200 people are forced to drive to Belfast everyday from South Down, for work, creating congestion in Ballynahinch and along the A7 through Crossgar and Saintfield. 4000 of these people work for Government agencies and Stormont can choose to decentralise jobs around Northern Ireland to where the people actually live making for more sustainable lifestyles.”

“It is unacceptable that South Down has been written off by the Northern Ireland Executive as an area for the decentralisation of Government jobs – this will leave people having long unnecessary routes unless we can implement a more sustainable policy in employment in the public sector,” concluded Steven Agnew.

Cllr Enright urged people to vote for Steven on Thursday (4th June) and said, “Already the Green Party is leading the way in Europe in terms of agriculture, energy, fisheries and climate change policies with their 43 Green MEPs.”

“For Steven, joining this influential grouping would allow for local issues – those concerning Down District and the rest of Northern Ireland – to be best brought forward for legislative purposes,” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings: Greens call for end to pollution of Ballynahinch river during local visit.

GREENS CONDEMN POOR QUALITY OF MANAGEMENT AT DRUMKEERAGH FOREST

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on May 22, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, John Hardy and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows (left to right) the Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright, Local Environmentalist Rosalind Radcliff and Green Party Co-ordinator John Hardy.

The Green Party has expressed disappointment with the Forest Service at their destruction of habitat during frog spawning season in Drumkeeragh Forest.

A number of visitors to the park alerted Green Party members after witnessing diggers carrying out maintenance work which inadvertently removed ponds and water habitats that frogs spawn in at this time of year.

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright highlighted that the maintenance work was not necessary at this time of year and said, “we in the Green Party have phoned and written to the forestry service and expressed our concern that they seem to take no account of important seasonal factors when planning work or usage in the forest and appear to only take a token account of wild life protection.

Local Green Party coordinator John Hardy commented “It is very worrying that the Forest Service is carrying out these activities without any apparent regard for the habitat of wildlife in the Forest. On their website, the Forest Service claim that landscaping and wildlife conservation receive greater emphasis in Drumkeeragh, yet what we have witnessed would suggest that landscape work is carried out at the expense of biodiversity with little thought if any to seasonal factors”.

“We understand that maintenance work is necessary in the Forest, but we are urging the Forest Service to only carry this work out at an appropriate time when it won’t interfere with breeding cycles, and when it is more necessary, as it in the winter.”

Local Environmental Campaigner Rosalind Radcliff said, “This would not be so worrying if the Forestry Service had not tried to run a motor cycle rally through these shucks last year at the same time, also badly damaging the habitat for the spawning frogs. We complained at that time – but it is clear that they have learned nothing and have worsened the situation this year and do not understand that maintenance of the environment most have a seasonal dimension to it.

Press Cuttings: Greens condemn Drumkeeragh Forest 'destruction'

RUSSIAN ROULETTE AT THE DUNMORE CROSSROADS

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on May 13, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Cadogan Enright, Pat Ward, Planning issues and illegal development and Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright and Green Party Co-ordinator Pat Ward at the Dunmore / Magherahamlet Crossroads.

DOWN District Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has expressed his concern at the dangers posed to people using the Dunmore Road and Magherahamlet Road Crossroads.

Currently a derelict building, which should have been removed ten years ago after a replacement dwelling was built, is blocking the sightlines of road users approaching the crossroads from the Spa direction.

Cllr Enright said, “The sightlines should have been amended around ten years when the old building on the crossroads was to be removed before a new replacement dwelling was erected. On visiting this junction it concerns me that the old building is still in place and dangerously blocking the sight lines to emerging traffic at the crossroads. If this old building is removed, as it should have been, I believe the problems and dangers of this junction could be rectified.”

Cllr Enright has been told by the Planning Office that the Roads Service and Planning Service are currently corresponding to have this issue rectified.

Cllr Enright said, “I have written to the Planning Service on two occasions and also raised the issue with local PSNI officers. I can confirm that the Planning Service is currently carrying out an assessment of our request to have the derelict building removed which I welcome however I am concerned at the length of time this process is taking. Local people have had to wait over ten years for this issue to be resolved and I think it is a miracle that no one has been killed yet on these crossroads.”

The crossroads in question has contributed to several previous road accidents which have left people seriously injured. To date there has been no fatalities however local people believe it will only be a matter of time before a tragedy comes about.

Cllr Enright concluded, “Currently when approaching theses crossroads from the Spa direction it is like playing a game of ‘Russian Roulette’. I have expressed my concerns to the Planning Service and hope that enforcement and addressing the issue is forthcoming before someone else gets hurt.”

Press Cuttings: Dangerous bend prompts appeal, Green Councillor hits out at 'dangerous' crossroads