Call for special 'handbrake' area

MOYLE Council should get a big piece of tarmaced area in somewhere like a quarry and let young drivers perform 'doughnuts' and handbrake turns in an attempt to keep them from performing such manoeuvres on public roads in places like Ballycastle harbour carpark, DUP councillor David McAllister says.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th May 2010, 16:22 BST

His comments came during discussion of plans for a new lay-out at Ballycastle Harbour in a bid to stop anti-social driving.

Cllr McAllister said when the new carpark lay-out is put in at Ballycastle Harbour the 'doughnutters' will move on to do their handbrakes somewhere else.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Why doesn't Council get them a bit of tarmac and let them rip away, like in a quarry," he said.

He said you can see marks on roads across the Moyle area where people have performed such 'doughnutting'.

Cllr Oliver McMullan (Sinn Fein) didn't think the people who do doughnuts would go to such a place.

Cllr McAllister also wondered about the impact of ramps at Ballycastle Harbour on cars.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said ramps were put in at the Glebeside estate in Ballymoney and a number of cars sustained problems with springs.

Independent councillor Randal McDonnell would like to see the harbour carpark at Ballycastle kept the way it is without new planted areas and picnic tables.

He said to his mind the scheme is "completely mischievous and should not even be entertained".

Cllr McDonnell said people got it into their heads that something needs to be done like ramps at Shore Road in Cushendall and a mini-rounadbout at Knocknacarry.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said hundreds of people will have to "live with" the new carpark at Ballycastle Harbour "to placate a small number of complainers and campaigners".

Cllr McDonnell wondered how a proposal to put picnic tables in at Ballycastle Harbour would work as moving traffic was so close by.

He said there had been an issue concerning how close swings would be to moving traffic at Shane's Park in Cushendun.

Council officer Aidan McPeake said all the correspondence and feedback on the Ballycastle proposals were "very positive".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With cars "handbraking and skidding" in the harbour carpark he said "it will only be a matter of time before somebody is injured."

SDLP councillor Madeline Black said the so-called 'campaigners and complainers are the residents of Bayview Road".

She said she supports the scheme and Councillor Paudie McShane said if the public locally support the carpark plan so does he.

Council Vice-Chairperson, Cllr Robert McIlroy (DUP), said it is a problem which has gone on for a long time and one which has to be confronted and resolved.

Related topics:DUPCouncil