From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 20, 1994

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 20, 1994

17 April 2024

CASTLEWELLAN – The contract for the core project of the Castlewellan regeneration initiative was officially signed on Monday morning.

Councillor Eamonn O’Neill, the chairman of the town’s regeneration body, described the signing ceremony as a “particularly important and historic stage” in the implementation of the town’s CRISP strategy to help regenerate the town.

The core project will involve the refurbishment of derelict buildings in the Upper Square and Castle Street areas of the town to create a foreign language centre and provide accommodation for visitors.

And the signing of the contract marks the culmination of three years of hard work by members of the Castlewellan CRISP committee.

“It is my duty to thank all the members who gave so willingly of their time and expertise to get us where we are today,” he said. 

“It is often overlooked the enormous amount of time that goes into constructing something positive and I believe the community of Castlewellan owes these people a debt of gratitude.”

Mr O’Neill also paid tribute to the work of the Department of Environment’s representative, Mr Michael McSorley, and International Fund for Ireland official, Mr Joseph McAnulty.

“Without the help and guidance of both men we would never have got this project off the ground in Castlewellan,” he explained.

DOWNPATRICK – The Housing Executive has this week unveiled plans to embark upon a near £1m improvement scheme at the Meadowlands estate in Downpatrick.

Work is expected to commence on a total of 67 homes in mid-June and take around 12 months to complete.

Meadowlands is one of the town’s oldest public sector housing estates and has been earmarked for major improvement work by officials at the Executive’s headquarters in Newtownards and local office in Downpatrick.

The exact cost of the scheme is around the £900,000 mark and represents a major commitment to the people in the homes in the estate which were built in the early 1960s.

A number of two-storey homes along with a selection of flats at McLean House are in line for major external and internal improvements.

The main elements of the project – which will be carried out in tandem with an environmental improvement scheme – will result in the installation of coal-fired central heating.

New windows will also be fitted, along with a rewiring scheme and new sanitary facilities, upgraded kitchens and dining provision.

CROSSGAR –  A public meeting is to be held in Crossgar next week to establish a new community association for the village.

The meeting has been called by a steering group recently set up in a bid to put Crossgar firmly on the Down District map and attract which many believe are much-needed resources and facilities to the area.

A large turn-out of residents is requested for the Wednesday night meeting in the  War Memorial Hall which is expected to debate, among other issues, the need for a community hall and the rising crime levels in the village.

Down Council’s Community Relations Officer, Mr Damian Brannigan, has been liaising between the new steering group and the council and believes there is no reason why the village umbrella group should not be formed.

“Crossgar is one of the number of villages which is  leading the way and it will now have an invaluable input into the council’s Partnership Board which covers the entire district,” he said recently.

BALLYNAHINCH – Unprecedented traffic disruption is expected in Ballynahinch next week with the closure of many of the town’s major streets.

Starting on Sunday, the Department of the Environment is embarking on a five-day programme of street closures to allow essential work to be carried out on traffic management schemes.

Lengthy diversions are being proposed for part of the week as work gets underway early on Sunday morning and continues until Thursday evening.

In additional, from Monday part of the main road between Ballynahinch and Downpatrick is to be closed for five weeks to allow for the completion of a waterman contract.

News of the further traffic restrictions is sure to anger Ballynahinch’s already beleaguered traders who, while recognising the need for the work, have questioned some of the Department’s methods.

The town centre road closure programme is in two phases and begins at 8am on Sunday morning with arts of High Street, Main Street and Lisburn Street being closed for three days.

The second phase of the work will be a two day programme, beginning at 8 am on Tuesday with the closure of another section of High Street along with parts of Dromore Street and Church Street.

This means that on Tuesday, if the two phases overlap, virtually the whole of Ballynahinch will be closed to through traffic with all motorists being asked to divert through the Spa area.

ARDGLASS –  A candlelit vigil is being held at Ardview House in Ardglass next Monday night – just four days before a High Court Judge is asked to rule whether or not the plan to close the facility is morally correct.

The fight to save the home from closure took a dramatic twist last month when residents were granted leave to seek a judicial review into the decision by the former Down and Lisburn Unit of Management.

Campaigners are hoping for a good turnout at the vigil which is being organised by the town’s Action Committee, spearheaded by Dr Michael Healy.

A number of local clergymen will be in attendance to lead the prayers and they will be joined by the residents who are determined to stay put.

Many have already vowed they will have to be carried out of the home if Ardview is closed and their stance is putting increasing pressure on local health chiefs.

The campaign is save the home has been one of the most vociferous ever mounted in the local area and is viewed by many as paralleling the hospitals campaign which resulted in a moral victory for “people power”.

The Ardglass home is widely regarded as the most cost effective facility within the Down and Lisburn Trust and its future is at the top of the agenda in the corridors of power at Dundonald House.

NEWCASTLE – Plans to demolish a number of public toilet blocks in Down District have this week been put on ice.

However, the long term future of the facility at Central Promenade in Newcastle are in doubt.

Councillors stopped short of getting bogged down in a major debate on the issue during Monday night’s meeting, but corners were expressed about knocking down the Victorian toilets in Newcastle. 

Mr Albert Colmer, Mr Gerry Douglas and Mr Eamonn O’Neill all put forward the case for allowing people to keep using the historic cast iron toilets at the entrance to the town’s harbour.

However, the council’s Client Services Committee believes the men’s only facility is no longer needs in its present location, especially as a modern toilet block is located some 150 yards away.

But councillors believe the toilet should be retained for its “historical value” and preserved  for generations to come as a “museum piece”.

The decision to remove the toilets from the town is part of a new district-wide review of public conveniences, but following Monday night’s debate, the move is to be discussed again.

Meanwhile, one of the senior council officers, Mr Frank Cunningham, said most of the toilets open to the public in the locality are not up to suitable health and safety standards.