Residents in Ballyhornan have voiced concerns about lack of inter-departmental working at Government level that is stymieing the development of the village with the announcement that NIWater is resurfacing Killard Drive, but not to the standard required by the Roads Service to ‘take it in charge’.
Local spokesperson Bryn Lewis said “when the RAF departed this area some years ago, no attempt was made to remediate the area. Roads were not taken in charge by the Roads Service, sewage was left flowing into the sea and no local facilities were available. The main road into the village looks like it has been systematically bombed and the Roads Service claims it can do nothing.”
Local councillor Cadogan Enright said “I have questioned NI Water on their proposal to resurface Killard Drive in Ballyhornan. This is a main road in the village and has never been taken in charge by the Roads Service since it was abandoned by the RAF 25 years ago. NIW have funding approved for this project and a Contractor has been appointed, but they do not propose to bring the road up to the standard where it can be adopted. They propose project design development and make a submission to NIE for power supply to the site along this road. They propose that works construction will commence after Land Acquisition and Transfer has been secured. It is clear to me that this opportunity must be used to bring the road up to the standard where it can be adopted by the Roads Service.”
Cllr Enright has written to DRD Minister Danny Kennedy highlighting residents concerns on behalf of the Ballyhornan Task Force. “I have alerted the Minister for Regional Development to this problem , reminding him of his meetings with the Ballyhornan Task Force on the 17 November 2011 locally, and last year in Parliament Buildings, Stormont on 3 December. We discussed how we could get the roads adopted and have cross-departmental action to ensure the we successfully addressed roads and other infrastructure on the old RAF bases and surroundings”, said Cadogan Enright.
“I have urged the minister to ensure that the Roads Service and NI Water cooperate with each other in this project and ensure that Killard Drive is brought up to the standard required by Roads Service to allow them to adopt it. I have agreed to represent the Ballyhornan Task Force on Friday in the consultation meeting at Ardglass Golf Club this coming Friday the 12th, and would encourage anybody interested to attend.” Concluded Cllr Enright