From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 12, 1995

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 12, 1995

9 April 2025

KILLYLEAGH – Killyleagh’s first purpose-built community hall could be up and running within the next two years, it has been confirmed.

Campaigners in the town have been assured that the long-awaited project will go ahead, provided Down Council is successful in obtaining grant aid from Europe.

Within the next few months, the council will appoint consultants to draw up a feasibility study which will form the basis of an application for the Euro-cash.

Their brief will be to identify a suitable site, draw up plans and work out costings which will then be forwarded to Brussels for consideration under the £240m Delors peace package.

It is anticipated that work on the building, which is expected to cost in the region of £400,000, could get underway as early as October 1996.

The consultants will work closely with a committee of local people who were elected at a public meeting in the town last Wednesday night, called by the Killyleagh Community Hall Steering Committee. 

DOWNPATRICK – A major campaign has been launched to protect thousands of trees on a Downpatrick estate which are in danger of being felled in a dispute over agricultural grants.

Residents living near the historic Finnebrogue estate have been joined by environmentalists, Down Council and a Government department in expressing serious concerns about plans to clear 190 acres of woodland to make way for pasture.

The owner of the estate, which borders the river Quoile to the north of the town, is planning a wholesale clearance of trees, including a long-established wood of old Irish oak, to enable him to qualify for a government grant.

Mr Denis Lynn, who farms the estate, says the clearance operation has been forced upon him by tough Department of Agriculture regulations which leave him with little alternative but to clear all trees and shrubs.

By clearing the land Mr Lynn says he will qualify for amost £18,000 in agriculture grants, but he claims the tree felling could be avoided if the Department relaxes its regulations.

STRANGFORD – Senior officials with the Department of Environment will reveal later this month whether or not they are to provide a new multi-million passenger ferry for Strangford Lough.

That is when details of an independent report are to be made public and they are expected to spell out the case for providing a new purpose-built ferry to service the busy Strangford to Portaferry crossing.

It has been produced by a team of English-based independent consultants and it is understood that the contract is estimated between £2m and £5m, with the possibility of it being awarded to Harland and Wolff.

The new super ferry is being put forward by lough users and politicians on both sides of the water to replace the MV Portaferry, which many engineers believe has reached the end of its service life on the dangerous waters.

Last August, the consultants were asked to draw up an outline design for a replacement vessel for the MV Portaferry which operates the route during the height of the summer season, in tandem with the MV Strangford.

KILLYLEAGH – Killyleagh has received a major jobs boost with the news that up to 50 posts are to be created at a new leather plant in the town.

North of Ireland Tanners is planning to set up a new factory at Shrigley and it is understood that it will utilise space presently occupied by International Leathers.

Sources close to the company say the move to create the new jobs will also safeguard the future of International Leathers by putting cash into the business after a few difficult trading years.

The new firm has been established by the Lannen family, which already runs successful tannery businesses at Dungarvan and Carlow, and grant-aid is being sought from the Industrial Development Board to aid its latest project.

Mr Raymond Lannen, managing director, who also owns International Leathers, said he hopes to create between 40 and 50 new jobs in the first year of operation.

NEWCASTLE – A Newcastle pressure group, which is critical of significant pieces of Down Council’s £12m development strategy for the town, has been encouraged to make a presentation to a powerful council committee.

Local councillor Michael Boyd has invited the Newcastle Citizens’ Campaign to present its views to the council’s Economic Development Committee, the body charged with overseeing the development strategy.

Mr Boyd, who recently proposed the setting up of a development board for Newcastle to oversee the project, said such a presentation would place the campaigners’ views officially on the record.

The Citizens’ Campaign is strongly opposed to the redevelopment of Donard Park and the proposed introduction of two-way traffic on Shimna Road, and is pushing for an indoor heated swimming pool to be provided in the town.

DOWNPATRICK – A new ambulance station to help increase response times across Down District could be built in Downpatrick within the next few years.

The new-look Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, which was created following the amalgamation of the Province’s four area ambulance services, says the purpose-built station in the area is one of its main priorities.

A number of sites are scheduled to be looked at over the coming months, but sources close to the new service say the new base could be created at the Downshire site.

Careful consideration is expected to be given to this location because of the plan to build a new acute hospital at the site and its open plan layout.

At present, there are five ambulances based in Downpatrick, but senior officials with the new service are concerned about the location and the fact that the men and the vehicles are separated.

News of the possible new station comes in the same week as the Down Community Health Committee revealed it is to hold crunch talks with the Province’s Health Minister at the end of the month.

A delegation spearheaded by South Down MP, Mr Eddie McGrady and Mr Cecil Maxwell, are to seek assurances from Mr Malcolm Moss on April 24 about the future of hospital services in Downpatrick and press him for an immediate answer on the business case prepared by the Down and Lisburn Trust.

CROSSGAR – The newly appointed principal of the soon-to-be established integrated primary school in Crossgar has revealed his vision for the school.

Mr Brian McKernan, who lives in Lurgan, will take up his post as headmaster of Cedar Integrated Primary School on September 1, but he has already shown his commitment to the new role by regularly commuting to the area to attend meetings and plans to live in the Saintfield area.

Born in Belfast, 31 year-old Mr McKernan was educated at schools in Ballymena, Craigavon and Newry, before obtaining his teacher training degree from Queen’s University, Belfast.

KILLYLEAGH – Work on a major extension at Killyleagh Yarns to consolidate its position as one of the world’s market leaders is expected to be completed in two months’ time.

The company’s managing director confirmed this week that the creation of the 8,000 sq ft extension to provide new storage space is part of Killyleagh Yarns overall restructuring plan.

Mr Derek Hutchinson revealed on Monday that over the next three years around £3.5m is to be invested at the local plant which is Down District’s largest private employer with over 230 workers on the payroll.