Killyleagh residents to form community group

Killyleagh residents to form community group

25 January 2017

A NEW community group is to be formed in Killyleagh.

The move was agreed at a public meeting on Monday night with a number of residents signing up to get involved with an organisation which is determined to improve the profile of the town.

The meeting held at the Bridge Community Centre was called to set up a new forum for residents and members of the town’s business community, providing them with a platform to articulate their views and tackle issues of concern.

Key issues identified included the refurbishment of the town’s main playground adjacent to the community centre. It is hoped the new group will take responsibility for organising a range of events during the summer, at Halloween and over the festive period.

Monday night’s meeting took place following a spate of arson attacks over recent weeks with a stark warning issued that unless the trouble stops, Killyleagh could have a tragedy on its hands.

Last November, arsonists targeted an empty house at the Kerry estate, while shortly after Christmas a fire was started at the former Royal British Legion premises in Catherine Street.

Early in the New Year, a timber-framed show house under construction at a prestigious new private housing development at the Comber Road in the town was damaged in a blaze, leaving developers with an estimated £20,000 repair bill.

PSNI Inspector Barry Black said police are aware of the recent incidents in Killyleagh involving young people and while he suggested fires in two of the properties may have been started by teenagers in a bid to keep warm, “what they did was very dangerous.”

He continued: “People know who is involved in this and we would like to hear from them, or they could use the confidential Crimestoppers number,” he said. “If young people are involved in anti-social behaviour we are not looking to hammer them, bring them before the courts and ruin their lives. However, we need information about who is involved so we and others can work with these young people.”

Inspector Black said he believes if there is a strong community group in Killyleagh, it can play a key role moving forward. He suggested when a town has a strong community voice, there is more gentle pressure on children to behave and pressure on their parents to ensure they do and behave responsibly.

Inspector Black said it is more important than ever that local communities have a strong voice and welcomed the move to set up a new group to represent the people of Killyleagh.

Councillor Billy Walker said the time is now right for Killyleagh to have a properly constituted community organisation which he has no doubt can do so much for the town. He praised those who attended the meeting and put their names forward to join the group.

“It pains me that a historic town like Killyleagh does not have a community group to represent its people,” he declared. “There have been a spate of recent arson attacks which we all want to see an end to and I have heard reports of cars being scored and satellite cables at people’s homes being cut. This is not the sort of behaviour we want in our town. Arson attacks must stop before we have a tragedy on our hands.”

Councillor Walker said he was delighted a number of young people were at Monday’s meeting and had put their ames forward to join the new community group. He also paid tribute to the work carried out by Chris and Michelle Hagan who run the town’s Youth Club.

He added: “We all want what is best for Killyleagh and setting up a new community group is an important first step. Young people are our future and their commitment to get involved moving forward is refreshing. It gives us all hope. We recognise that only a tiny minority are responsible for recent trouble but what they are doing is getting the town a bad name.”

Councillor Terry Andrews said the new community group has a vital tole to play in drawing down funding and suggested the public meeting represented a “catalyst for change.” He said those prepared to work on behalf of Killyleagh share a common goal in working together for the benefit of everyone, while Councillor Harry Harvey encouraged the new group to draw its members from all sections of the community and to fully explore all available funding streams to help them achieve their goals.