Hospital Lane gas scheme welcomed

DEPUTY Mayor of Limavady, DUP councillor Alan Robinson has given a cautious welcome to a response from the Housing Executive’s Chief Executive indicating that the proposed phase two of the gas installation scheme at Hospital Lane will be brought forward.

He said: “Phase Two of a gas installation scheme is an issue that I have shone a spotlight on since Halloween of last year.

“It is a matter that I have personally prioritised on behalf of local residents, some of whom have the inefficient Economy Seven system as their mode of heating. It is an issue that I have lobbied at every level of the Housing Executive from District Office, Area Office, Regional Office, the Chief Executive and the Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland.

“I was determined that the people of Hospital Lane would be connected to the gas network and that I would deliver my election commitments to them to help tackle fuel poverty and living conditions in their area. When I was elected to Council in 2005, I recognised that the Hospital Lane area lay within one of the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland and thus I persuaded the then Social Development Minister to visit the area where she saw first-hand the difficulties being experienced by local residents.

“It also gave me an opportunity to directly lobby her Department asking that attention be focused to

improve the living conditions of Hospital Lane residents. This latest £228,000 scheme which will include 57 dwellings, commencing at Grange Park follows on from a Phase One heating scheme, a kitchen replacement scheme, and the repair and reallocation of a number of void Housing Executive properties.

“Street lighting has also been improved in some areas and we are currently lobbying for further improvements. There will however be some disappointment as Phase Two of the kitchen replacement programme has been knocked back to a later date this year but some residents were always of the view that heating should have originally been given the utmost priority due to the excessive fuel costs.

“The Hospital Lane is also part of a 10 year Neighbourhood renewal funding programme administered by the Department of Social Development which I hope will also impact upon the lives of that community.”

Mr Robinson concluded: “I know that the initial phase one gas installation scheme has been welcomed and with this latest letter from the Housing Executive Chief Executive giving an earlier commencement date for phase two, that this too will be greeted with applause by a community who deserves our support.”

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