Roads Minister pressed to establish speed limit through Kilclief village

Roads Minister pressed to establish speed limit through Kilclief village

20 January 2016

STORMONT roads minister Michelle McIlveen has been asked to deliver on a commitment by her officials to introduce a 30mph speed limit in Kilclief.

She has been asked to intervene amid claims that officials have reneged on an undertaking to introduce the new limit in response to concerns voiced by the Kilclief Residents’ Association.

The community group is seeking the support of local politicians to have the 30mph limit introduced and its chairman, Maurice Denvir, is in no doubt that roads officials agreed to the move last year.

“This is long overdue and something the village has been seeking for over 15 years. Much smaller villages in the area have already had 30mph zones provided,” he continued.

Councillor Cadogan Enright said he was in attendance at site meetings in Kilclief last spring with roads officials and residents’ group members to discuss the issue.

“I was subsequently in regular communication with an engineer who was to bring forward plans for the 30mph zone in consultation with the PSNI and the local council, both of whom have been awaiting the proposals. Mr Denvir is entirely correct. There was an unequivocal promise to deliver a 30mph zone in Kilclief,” he added.

South Down MLA Chris Hazzard, who has raised the issue with Miss McIlveen, said residents are understandably “frustrated” by the failure to designate a 30mph zone in Kilclief. He said the new regulations governing the designation of 30mph zones are clear and that “Kilclief obviously qualifies.”

He continued: “The old rules for designation ended in 2010 which required 20 houses along a 600 metre stretch. Kilclief obviously meets this criteria, with the new regulations facilitating even smaller villages.”

Mr Hazzard said roads officials appear to have reneged on commitments given to residents in Kilclief, confirming he has raised the issue with Stormont’s roads minister.