potholes, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Cllr Enright has brought to the attention of the Council the poor state of road surfacing in the Windmill Street Car Park area of Ballynahinch that has already been the cause of injury to several people.

The lane at Harmony Way in the centre of the town has been reduced to a serious of water filled pot-holes, some six feet in diameter and several inches deep. On one recent occasion a delivery lorry got stuck in a pot hole and broke both of its front mud guards.

Cllr Cadogan Enright  has visited the site and witnessed the severity of the problem. “It is shocking that these conditions should exist on such a busy thoroughfare, used everyday by shoppers and schoolchildren and surrounded by businesses which are being denied proper access”, he said.”

“Local business people tell me that a number of individuals have been hurt after falling in the holes and this is of particular concern for elderly people. There is one case in which a drunken man fell over on the rough ground into a pothole and the staff of a local business had to call an ambulance as he was hurt and nearly drown, so deep was the hole!!”

The poor state of the lane is part of a greater problem in the area, including the inadequate drainage system. Claire Porter, of The Edge Youth Centre, which is on Harmony Way, says the building has almost been flooded on several occasions recently. ‘On one incident we have had to replace the downstairs carpet and hire people to drain the water away from the Youth Centre. The drain outside the edge cannot cope with the amount of rain water it collects and several times a year we have had to pay to get this emptied, and it has cost a total of over £1000 of our own money.’

It is understood that the laneway is the property of the Kerr estate and so does not come under Roads Service jurisdiction. However, the Councillor understands that Down District Council has been attempting to acquire the laneway, which would then allow them to carry out the necessary maintenance work.

Cllr Enright confimred with council Chief Executive John McGrillan that this is still in process and urged the two parties involved in the hand-over to ensure that it took place swiftly so that these problems could be tackled. ‘It is essential that the Council take responsibility for this area as it is a busy lane and we can not have local people put at risk and local businesses having to pay for the services which should be available through the public services.’

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