Row erupts over Moyle link with Limavady

A Council report said teaming up with Limavady in a joint procurement exercise to get an internal audit service would save Moyle ratepayers money rather than Moyle going it alone.

Involvement with Limavady comes from structures set up in the past to look at the possibility of the Moyle, Coleraine, Ballymoney and Limavady areas teaming up as one ‘super council’ but that did not come to pass.

Councillors were told that Coleraine and Ballymoney have made other arrangements and that Limavady was the only area Moyle could work with on this procurement project.

But Cllr McKillop alleged the decision for the Limavady link was based on “ideology” and was a “political move”.

That was denied by Council officers and Council Chief Executive Richard Lewis said ideally Moyle would have gone with all the other three councils but only one was seeking outside help through the current structure for an internal audit and he assured councillors it was nothing to do with “ideology” but based around saving money.

Cllr McKillop did not go into further detail about why she was against the Limavady link. But recently a TUV representative in Limavady was highlighted in the media when he displayed a Union Flag at meetings and nationalists on the Council said it was in breach of their policy.

When Cllr McKillop first spoke about the Moyle-Limavady issue at the Moyle Council meeting she said georgraphically they had three councils closer to Moyle than Limavady and she said the Moyle area has closer links with Coleraine.

Ulster Unionist councillor Willie Graham asked if they could link with Ballymoney but he was told Ballymoney is working with Ballymena Council on the procurement issue.

Cllr Colum Thompson (Independent) said he could not work out why a councillor would be against something that would save ratepayers money.

Council Chairperson, Cllr Padraig McShane (Independent), claimed councillors were “nothing short of amazed” at the stance taken by Cllr McKillop.

The Council agreed to linking with Limavady but Cllr McKillop said she wished her opposition to be recorded.