£51k EU funding boost to provide new pavements

£51k EU funding boost to provide new pavements

19 September 2018

NEW pavements are to be provided in Ballyhornan thanks to an EU funding boost.

Almost £51,000 is being made available under the EI’s Peace IV funding initiative with residents hoping the money for the new paths will act as a catalyst to secure additional financial support to other much-needed work to upgrade the local infrastructure.

The EU money will allow work to start on a planning application to provide new footpaths in the village where the RAF was previously based before withdrawing in the 1970s, leaving Ballyhornan with a lack of pavements, unadopted roads, no street lights and inadequate sewerage systems amongst other issues.

Ballyhornan Development Association chairman Gerry Young said there had been many meetings over the years applying and reapplying for funding to address the infrastructure issues in the village. 

“The Peace IV funding will give us renewed hope,” he continued. “I would urge local elected politicians who have fallen away from attending meetings of the Ballyhornan Realm Interagency Group to come back on board as we now need all parties to put their shoulders to the wheel and get momentum moving in resolving the village’s unique situation. 

“All government departments need to do their bit to rectify the decommissioning oversight in Ballyhornan and bring the village up to a reasonable standard as has happened in Ballykelly and other more recently decommissioned Ministry of Defence bases.”

Cllr Cadogan Enright, who works closely with the Ballyhornan group, said he was delighted Newry, Mourne and Down Council agreed to provide the EU funding which it is responsible for administering.

He revealed the funding allocation will enable consultants to be appointed to prepare a planning application and contractors commissioned to carry out the first part of the new pathways project.

“There is also the prospect of a share in environmental improvement funding to ensure we can complete as much as possible of the paths that are needed to give the village a basic network, he said.

“I particularly want to thank local landowners and farmers who have come forward to offer small strips of land at the front of their property at no charge to facilitate this project.”

Cllr Enright said anyone else who wants to be involved in the village scheme can contact him or one of the local committee members. 

He added: “I believe their faith will pay off and that this project will actually add value to their holdings.

“I want to thank council officer Aisling Rennick who has been managing the application process for the Ballyhornan Realm Interagency Group. This has been a long and lonely haul for the small committee of dedicated people who have stuck with this project all these years.”