A winter of discontent?

Cllr Oliver McMullan (Sinn Fein) said because grit was delivered from Ballymoney this year and there already were problems.

He told a Council meeting: "When we needed emergency grit in the Glens there were only two loads because of the time they took to come over from Ballymoney. If it was done from Ballycastle we could have got four loads or more."

The councillor believed there is "no guarantee" there will be a depot in the long term in Ballymoney and he believed its viability will be examined too.

"We need to keep grit somewhere in Moyle," he said.

He added: "All services here are nearly all gone."

Council Chairperson, Cllr Cara McShane (Sinn Fein), said the threat facing the Ballycastle depot has added to concerns about public services being removed from Moyle.

"I don't see how it couldn't be detrimental to this locality," she said.

In a letter to Moyle Council, K V Hutton, Head of Roads Service Direct, said: 'In order to meet the Executive's Budget 2008 admin efficiency savings, Roads Service is having to review all of its administration costs with a view to identifying potential savings.

'One area for potential savings is reducing depot overheads and the first stage of a depot review has been completed. This review has identified potential savings in closing the Ballycastle Depot.

'Consultation has been undertaken and is on-going with staff in the depot and their Union representatives and an Equality Impact Assessment screening exercise has been completed and will shortly be published for consultation.

'However, I would advise that should the closure proceed, the services currently delivered in the Moyle District Council area would be delivered from the Ballymoney Depot and the same level of service would be provided.

'Irrespective of the depot location, Roads Service maintenance standards clearly set out specified response times for various categories of defect and it is anticipated that these will continue to be met should Ballycastle staff be relocated.

'It should be noted that winter gritting has been provided from Ballymoney depot in accordance with those standards throughout this winter season,' said the letter.

Councillors want at local base in Moyle for grit in the winter and they have agreed to write to the Roads Minister.