Plans submitted for £1.2m amenity site

Plans submitted for £1.2m amenity site

14 January 2015

DOWN Council’s plan to develop a new civic amenity site in Downpatrick has taken a major step forward.

A planning application has been lodged to build the new £1.2m facility which is literally within touching distance of the existing amenity site at the Cloonagh Road on the outskirts of the town.

Council officials hope planning permission can be secured to allow construction work to get underway in the near future.

Plans have been drawn up to provide Downpatrick with an ultra-modern amenity site similar to those already developed in Castlewellan and Ballynahinch.

The existing recycling centre at Cloonagh Road is struggling to cope with increasing demand and for health and safety reasons has to be closed when skips require emptying, which frustrates people wanting to use it and leads to tailbacks outside the facility.

The cost of the new Downpatrick facility will have to be financed through the rates as no grant aid is available, with politicians hoping construction work can get underway as soon as possible.

They say it’s widely recognised that the existing Cloonagh Road facility is simply not big enough to meet demand and that a much larger facility is needed.

Politicians say given the increasing emphasis on recycling, the Downpatrick facility and its sister operations in Castlewellan and Ballynahinch are set to play increasingly important roles.

Councillor Liam Johnston, who has been lobbying for a new recycling centre in Downpatrick for a number of years, has welcomed confirmation that a planning application has now been lodged.

“We have been looking for an alternative site for a significant number of years and given the Downpatrick site serves a huge number of people, it’s important it is replaced as soon as possible,” he said.

“A number of potential sites were examined and I have no doubt that the one which has been chosen fits the bill.

“The long-running saga of securing a site has come to an end and I hope the Planning Service will approve the application which has been lodged so Down Council can get in with the job of delivering this facility.”

Councillor Johnston said the amenity sites developed in Castlewellan and Ballynahinch were major successes and was delighted that one will soon provided in Downpatrick.

“Staff who work at Cloonagh Road do an excellent job, often in very difficult circumstances, as they have to manage what is a very confined site that should have been replaced years ago.

It is vital ratepayers have access to a modern, civic amenity site, one which also offers enhanced safety for staff.”