Group 'upset over no reply from Council'

MOYLE Council officers are investigating whether a letter of response was sent to a local community organisation who, a councillor says, were "upset" at not getting a reply.

Council Vice-Chairperson, Cllr Robert McIlroy (DUP), said he was contacted by Dunseverick Community Association about Burn Brae at Lisnagunagh.

The land has been let out for grazing but Cllr McIlroy said the group said they wrote to the council about getting a kickabout area there and they said the never received a reply and that nothing ever happened and they were "most upset".

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Independent councillor Price McConaghy said the group wanted a full size football pitch at Burn Brae and Moyle Council officials went out and looked at the land but there was not enough room for that.

He understood an approach was made to the Housing Executive but a full-sized pitch could not be installed.

Council officer Kevin McGarry said he would investigate the issue of whether the group was contacted.

Cllr McIlroy said: "If community associations are trying to do something for their area then we as a Council should at the very least make a reply."

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Since the council meeting, the secretary of Dunseverick Community Association, Harold Kerr, has written a further letter to the council in relation to the Burn Brae field.

He pointed out that the original letter had been sent in May 2009 and that he had never received a response.

He said the Association were "excited" when they saw the first letter published in the local press.

"While waiting for a response I was amazed to read in the press that the council had rented the field for a further year, once again for grazing purposes and at an extremely low fee of 50."

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Mr. Kerr said that until writing his latest letter, he had never received a council response or even a standard acknowledgement.

In a separate issue, Mr. Kerr said he had also sent a letter requesting a Bottle Bank for the Dunseverick area for which he received an acknowledgement, but, to date, had no response as to the decision.

His letter concluded: "We, in the Association, are deeply disappointed by the actions of the council and I need a full explanation for the manner in which we as an Association are being treated."

Speaking to the Times at the weekend, Mr. Kerr said the Association were very anxious to resolve the matter and urged the council to help them achieve their goal of having somewhere for the young people of the area to play sports.

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"We asked for the field to be signed over to the Association, but all we have had is silence," Mr. Kerr said.

The Association stress they have no issue with the man who has rented the field from the council.

"He has not acted improperly or sought to prevent us in any way from getting the field. He has a horse in it for grazing and we have no problem with him." Our problem is with the council," Mr. Kerr insisted.

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