Limavady SDLP lobby Minister during ‘positive’ meeting

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the Limavady SDLP representatives highlighted the issues they had raised with the Transport Minister. These included the need for ‘progress’ on the A6 road, the positive impact of the Londonderry to Belfast rail service, the need for a climbing lane on the way to Coleraine and the need for safety measures on the Seacoast Road. The Councillors said: “We emphasised the need to make progress on the A6 road development even if this means decoupling the bypass at Dungiven to provide much needed earlier relief for the residents and particularly those living at the bottom end of the town. The Minister is well aware that there can be no further delays or postponements of the kind of disappointment experienced by those looking forward to the development of the A5 cross-border project.

“We expressed our satisfaction with the improvements on the Derry-Belfast Rail Service and told the Minister that a halt at Ballykelly would allow many more people from the Ballykelly/Greysteel/Limavady area to benefit from the much improved service.

“As a political party we are committed to rail transport and want to see a much closer working relationship between Translink and the local council and through our Assembly Member John Dallat ideas on how this can happen will be discussed with the Chief Executive of Translink Catherine Mason in the next few weeks. At the meeting we lent our encouragement to the Minister to provide a much needed climbing lane for traffic travelling towards Coleraine on the Limavady side of the mountain.

“The increasing importance of Limavady as a tourist destination featured on the all-party agenda with particular emphasis on the need to upgrade the Seacoast Road, Magilligan. We welcome confirmation that work will begin later in the year and trust that the new improvements will be in place for next year. Our Mayor, Councillor Gerry Mullan took the opportunity to present a petition from the people of the area who have been campaigning for a new footpath in the same area.”