Linenhall St petition

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council are being petitioned via the website called change.org

The petition reads: “Ballymoney locals are concerned about the neglect in Linenhall Street and want change”.

“The people of Ballymoney and surrounding areas would like the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to issue an enforcement notice on the developers that own the land in Linenhall Street.

“The site has been derelict for many years and needs to be demolished or developed.

“It is an embarrassment to the community who live here, our town has suffered enough this past ten years, business is greatly affected as is tourism for the town.“

Already 415 supporters have added their signatures to the petition which began at the weekend.

Some of the comments added by people who have signed the petition have included messages such as: “Linenhall Street is an eyesore and has been for far too long. Why should Ballymoney have to put up with it? It is ridiculous that a street which is viewed by a large percentage of people passing through the town should be in such a state.”

And another wrote: “I am from Ballymoney and as much as I adore the town and the community, it is really sad to go home every few months and see this street in the same state of disrepair as it has been in for the last number of years.”

A spokesperson for the Council said: “Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council thanks residents for bringing this to their attention and is now currently investigating a number of issues relating to the properties prior to making a decision on which action is legally available to take.

“Council has a significant number of neglected buildings throughout the Borough and is currently assessing them within their available resources and prioritising those which can result in a beneficial outcome for those within the local area. Any action which Council takes forward must be with legal advice and support to ensure a positive and prudent outcome, with minimal cost to the ratepayer.”