Big clean up should mark special year

As we sat in a traffic jam in the Longstone area people’s eyes wandered to four derelict buildings.

People who knew the area said these had once been beautiful houses and gardens, but the comments about their current state were not so complimentary.

Unfortunately vandals now light fires and use the properties as drinking dens.

One of the passengers pointed out the gardens in front of the houses were being used by people to dump all sorts of rubbish.

Lisburn in general has a careworn air with many shops and businesses closing and lying empty.

It is only the family run businesses, many of which have been in Lisburn for generations, that have a prosperous ari and deserve to be supported.

The Queen and Prince Philip are supposed to be coming to Northern Ireland this summer to mark the Diamond Jubilee. It would be nice if Lisburn Council would make a big effort to get the whole city cleaned up ahead of that visit and give everyone a boost.

Perhaps they could start by looking at the problem of derelict houses like those in the Longstone area and trying to get them cleaned up.

It would be a good way to mark a very special year.

Disgusted Ratepayer,

Lisburn