Village plan unveiled for Kilclief area

Village plan unveiled for Kilclief area

3 June 2015

A NEW village plan has been unveiled for Kilclief.

The document was unveiled at last week’s annual meeting of the residents’ association and will be used to make bids for financial support from a range of agencies to help develop a number of projects over the next five years.

Residents had a key input into the development of the plan which aims to secure new housing and create new job opportunities. Its other key themes include protecting the local environment and promoting the regeneration of the village, developing leisure and tourism opportunities, securing new housing to allow young people growing up in Kilclief to remain there. Roads, transport and traffic issues are included among the six action themes.

Maurice Denvir, the chairman of the residents’ group, said the former Down Council provided funding to allow the compilation of the village plan and is delighted it has now been published.

He said people are delighted with the plan and explained once they have had time to examine it in detail, a working group will be established to begin the task of taking its various objectives forward.

Mr Denvir said the group will include representatives from the Glebe House reconciliation centre based in the village and Kilclief GAC.

Councillor Cadogan Enright, who has been working closely with residents in Kilclief, has welcomed the publication of the new village plan and looks forward to working with the organisation to help deliver its key targets.

“A lot of hard work was put into the development of the plan and our thanks go to the Breige Jennings Consultancy for its help in putting the document together,” he added.

Kilclief GAC’s Declan McFall praised the work of the residents’ group, the wide scope of the publication consultation in formulating the development plan and the “excellence of the 

result.” He promised the club would do whatever it could to support the development plan, with his sentiments echoed by Diarmuid McGarrigle of Glebe House.

During his annual report at last week’s annual meeting, Mr Denvir reported on progress made over the past year including confirmation from the Roads Service that it would respond positively to calls for speed restrictions in the village. Association members were told the PSNI is also supportive of the move.

Mr Denvir said a number of locations have been identified as potential bases for a new play park, explaining the final decision will be made by the committee. He explained councillor Enright has been liaising with planners to determine which of the four sites is most likely to secure planning approval.

The campaign for clean water at beaches along the Lecale coastline was also highlighted by the chairman who praised the group for the role it played in helping retain a GP clinic in Strangford which was under threat of closure and the weekly service transferred to Downpatrick.

Mr Denvir was re-elected chairman of the residents’ association at last week’s annual meeting with his fellow office-bearers Clare Hanna (secretary) and Eamon Quinn (treasurer). Lisa Tolan was nominated to serve on the committee and will be joined by a number of others in due course.