Call for Infrastructure Minister to reconsider fixing ‘terrible’ Hillsborough junction
A councillor has criticised a Stormont agency’s u-turn that will leave visitors to Royal Hillsborough with a “bumpy ride”.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) is to urge Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Minister Liz Kimmins to reconsider fixing a “terrible” junction in efforts to stabilise tourism journeys into the village. The chamber heard that an offer by DfI has now been pulled in the wake of LCCC signing off on a major public realm scheme at Royal Hillsborough. Councillor Andrew Gowan said: “For some time the junction of Ballynahinch Street has been in an appalling condition.
“It is a source of great frustration to residents and anyone travelling through the area."
LCCC’s director of regeneration responded: “I can confirm that we have had correspondence in relation to our wider public realm programme. “It was the scheduling of that, that was an issue. “They (DfI) sought clarity on that programme and have decided that it would not be prudent to continue the Ballynahinch road works, given the imminent delivery of the public realm scheme.”
However, Councillor Gowan added: “I’m not sure the work in Royal Hillsborough would be imminent, realistically we could be looking at up to 18 months before anything is done to improve that road surface. “We as councillors view Royal Hillsborough as the jewel in the crown of our local tourism. And if you were a tourist travelling up Hillsborough at this time, it would be quite a bumpy ride. “I would ask that we re-engage with DfI at an appropriate level, that could be the Minister, to discuss if some level of work could be carried out to address that terrible road.”