Council must take ‘swift action on Portstewart Crescent’

A local man described the situation as being a ‘health and safety concern’ and ‘hazardous’ saying: “Causeway Coast and Glens council have failed to take swift action.

“The playpark and Crescent area in general is in a state of disarray with rubble and debris a major concern.

“When we were walking past we actually saw some children down in the middle of it because there are no safety barriers to cordon the area off whatsoever.

“Surely people’s safety should be a priority for the council, this needs to be addressed immediately.”

The gentleman, a resident of the seaside town, added: “The Met Office have issued a yellow warning for more strong winds on Wednesday and Thursday, surely making this area safe and secure must now be a priority.”

In a statement, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said: “Given its exposed location, the Crescent area of Portstewart is particularly vulnerable during periods of extreme weather.

“In the past week, the area has faced three separate named storms, with further weather warnings issued.

“Given the conditions, barriers are not suitable as they would not withstand heavy winds and the site is too large to effectively cordon off.

“Once there is some improvement to the weather outlook, a full clean-up of the site will be carried out. This is likely to be early next week.

“We would ask the public for their understanding and co-operation at this time and people should avoid the area until a clean-up can effectively and safely take place.”