From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 16, 1992

From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 16, 1992

14 September 2022

CROSSGAR —  An experimental roundabout is to be constructed at a busy Crossgar road junction, it was revealed this week.

The mini-roundabout is to be built at the junction of the Saintfield, Killyleagh, Ballynahinch and Kilmore Roads and will be in operation before the end of October.

News of the development was revealed this week by Rowallance Ulster Unionist councillor, Mr Albert Colmer, who welcomed the roundabout as an important step for road safety in the village.

“For some time there has been a major traffic problem at this location and it is to be hoped that the proposal that is to be implemented by the end of October, will not only assist the Crossgar community, but also those motorists using this very busy junction,” he said. 

“However, I would hope that the Department of the Environment will consider additional measures for which I have been asking for some, namely the extension of the 30 mph zone from its present position near the RUC station,” he aded. 

“If this fails to meet with the Department’s criteria then I would hope that consideration would be given to at least introducing a 40mph spend limit as exists in Saintfield.”

Mr Colmer added that he hopes the new roundabout will be well signposted. 

DOWNPATRICK — A spate of sheep worrying incidents in the Downpatrick area has led to a renewed call for Down District Council’s dog warden to be armed.

Local Ulster Unionist councillor, Mr Jack McIlheron, says the arming of the warden is necessary to help combat the worst spell of sheep attacks in more than 20 years. 

Mr McIlheron is demanding that the warden should be allowed to shoot dogs found attacking sheep and he has called on the courts to take a tough line with owners who wilfully allow their dogs to wander.

Mr McIlheron’s remarks follow a renewed outbreak of attacks in the Struell, Silevegrane and Saul Road areas, less than a year after farmers warned the problem was getting out of control.

He says farmers, sickened by the slaughter and facing financial hardship because of the cost of replacing stock, are now considering abandoning sheep farming altogether.

“Farmers have been subjected to savage attacks on their stock over the past months,” Mr McIlheron said.

CASTLEWELLAN — A Castlewellan clergyman has criticised the terrorists who turned a parochial centre into an extensive arms dump.

Parish priest, Fr M F Glavin, said the people who planted the weapons and explosives in a house used for community meetings showed no regard for the safety of the people of Castlewellan.

Fr Glavin, who only took up his position as parish priest in the town several weeks ago, also said the terrorists put at risk the lives of a great many children who attended the nearby St Malachy’s Primary School and high schools.

He was speaking just hours after the security forces completed a five day search of the house which turned up a vast hoard of terrorist weapons, including an RPG 7 rocket launcher and two warheads, five AK 47 assault rifles, two home-made grenades and a drogue bomb.

Experts from the Royal Engineers used high-tech equipment to find a total of four expertly constructed hides in the house, three of which contained the arms haul.

Two of the hides are believed to have been in the attic of the house, another beneath the stairs and the fourth, was under a nine inch concrete floor.]

SILENT VALLEY — Drinking water piped to local homes from the Silent Vally reservoir in the Mournes will have a greater concentration of fluoride if a proposal by the Eastern Health Board is approved.

The board has announced plans to increase the level of fluoride already in the water in an effort to improve the standard of dental health in the region.

At the moment Silent Valley water, which is supplied to a large number of homes between Belfast Lough and Dundrum Bay as well as houses in Belfast itself, contains around 0.1 parts per million of fluoride. 

Now the Eastern Health Board is proposing to increase the concentration to between 0.9 and 1.1 parts per million.

Mr Peter Davey, the board’s Director of Dental Services, explained the reasons for the proposed increase. “Northern Ireland has one of the worst dental health records in the United Kingdom,” he said. “In many parts of the province children suffer particularly badly by having up to twice as many decayed, missing and filled teeth as the national average.”

“Evidence from hundreds of students around the world shows that fluoridation works,” Mr Davy added.

BALLYNAHINCH — The business community in Ballynahinch is threatening to send a deputation to a Government Minister to complain at the town’s treatment by Down District Council.

The town’s Chamber of Commerce says it will seek a meeting with Economy Minister, Mr Robert Atkins unless residents get an improved service from the council.

The threat was issued at the Chamber’s annual meeting on Wednesday night when traders bitterly criticised the council’s record in Ballynahinch over the past five years.

Leading the criticism was Chamber president, Mr Billy Alexander, who said traders and residents are no longer prepared to put up with what he claimed was “council inactivity”.

While praising the efforts of Ballynahinch councillors and South Down MP, Mr Eddie McGrady, Mr Alexander said pressure must be brought to bear on the council.

“I would like to know what the council has sent in Ballynahinch over the past five years. I am convinced our town is being discriminated against,” he claimed.

With regard to environmental improvements for the town, Mr Alexander remarked: “We had meetings with the council and with councillors but for all of we have not received on garden seat, one tree or even one wastepaper basket.”

STRANGFORD — A new cottage-style ferry terminal and traffic marshalling plans are on the cards for Strangford.

Demolition of the existing building is proposed in plans announced by the Department of the Environment Roads Service.

Its replacement, claimed to be in keeping with the local environment, will be located in a more seaward position to allow widening of the road linking the slipway with the shoreside marshalling area.

The plans, for which outline permission is sought, represent a much modified version of ideas which found considerable public dissatisfaction some time ago.

The omit reference to the construction of a new jetty alongside the slipway and to proposed extension of the dry dock.

It is intended that traffic bound for Portaferry will continue to pass through Strangford, but assembly will take place in the marshalling area rather than clog on the village square at times of peak business.

A new sea wall at the ferry terminal is also included in the proposals and it is intended to carry out essential repairs to the main quay, where ferry vessels will continue to berth at night.

BISHOPSCOURT – Motorcycle racing will continue at Bishopscourt, despite a planning mix-up, it was claimed yesterday.

Developers say a fresh application to transform the former RAF base into a fully-fledged international motor-cycling venue is “imminent”.

And next weekend’s big meeting, which sees the culmination of the Regal Championship, will go ahead regardless.

Mr John Giffin, one of the two men behind the project, says he intends lodging a second application with the Planning Service in the very near future.