Cost of lighting ‘Castle’ path causes debate

At their November meeting, last Monday, councillors’ permission was sought for the installation of safety lighting on the path which runs through lands owned by Galgorm Estates Limited but for which Council undertook a leasing agreement back in 2001 in a bid to build a sustainable network of paths in the borough.

Permission was also sought from members to extend the original 20-year agreement with the Company, due to run until April 2021, until 2040.

Chief Executive Anne Donaghy said lighting would provide the opportunity for increased use by borough residents and enhance safety given current and proposed developments within the premises. Councillors were told that in addition to the Golf Club’s development of the NI Open Challenge, Galgorm Castle Estates were in the process of developing a garden centre and had plans to develop additional business units, both of which had potential to greatly increase traffic on the road adjacent to the path.

First to respond, SF Cllr Paul Maguire, however, described the report before him as “the craziest I’ve ever seen”.

“You’re talking about spending £106,000 of ratepayers’ money all within property that is in private ownership and what about the electric bill? Going forward, who will pay for that?

“It’s unjustifiable,” said the Councillor, claiming that the issue should have gone before a committee for consideration before being brought to full Council for a decision.

Challenging Cllr Maguire’s view, DUP Cllr Tommy Nicholl spoke of the importance of maintaining health and safety along the path and said Council should provide lighting “all in one go” and not in three stages as proposed in the report.

His remarks were echoed by fellow DUP Cllr Billy Henry and by UUP Cllr James McClean who said: “We should go the whole hog. I don’t want anything happening to our citizens going out on a dander”.

While Alliance Cllr Jane Dunlop, the DUP’s John Carson and Paul Frew also spoke out in favour of the scheme, SDLP Cllr Declan O’Loan said he was ‘surprised’ at the cost and suggested the matter be put back for discussion at committee level. This was backed by Ind. Cllr James Henry and it was agreed to put it on a November 18 committee agenda.

On Thursday, Cllr Maguire told ‘The Times’ he had called on the Chief Executive to address his party’s concerns within a fully researched business case for that agenda.