Stevenson: ‘Time to revitalise Linehall Street’

Cllr Ian Stevenson raised the subject of the much-discussed street during Tuesday’s meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Council’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting.

Members had been given an update on Revitalisation Programmes which seek to improve building frontages and gables and promote designated areas within each town as places for shoppers and visitors, and to improve the overall attractiveness of the areas identified.

Applications were submitted to the Department for Social Development (DSD) by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for two

Revitalise Programmes; Ballycastle Town Centre and Railway Road Area Coleraine and were successfully awarded funding totalling £200,000 for the period 2 November to 31 March 2016.

Ballycastle were awarded £100,00 to complete the revitalisation of Ballycastle town centre and

Coleraine were awarded £100,000 to complete Stage 1 of the Railway Road area.

Causeway Coast and Glens Council will match fund the programmes at a cost of £20,500 for Ballycastle and £11,111.11 for Coleraine.

Cllr Stevenson asked Council officer Paul Beattie when Linenhall Street in Ballymoney would be tackled as “it is an area which needs regeneration”.

Fellow Ballymoney councillor Alan McLean agreed saying that while the revitalisation of the Main Street in the town was a “marvellous job, Linenhall street needs more than a paint job.”

Mr Beattie said that he hoped Ballymoney would be a priority for next year.

He explained that the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area still falls between two different offices and he needed “to have that conversation with the regional office to look at equity.”

Alderman Maura Hickey praised the Revitalise scheme as being a ‘catalyst’ for improvement in towns.