Slaght play park fight begins

Having met with residents of Hazelwood Terrace, Mr Frew wrote at their request to both Roads Service and the PSNI to ascertain the possibility of providing a footpath along the busy Slaght Road to provide safer passage for pedestrians walking between Slaght Road, Hazelwood Terrace and the play park at Carmossan Park.

The Assemblyman said: “This is a road I know only too well having grown up a mile or two down the road so I know how busy and dangerous this carriageway is.

“Roads Service have agreed to my request and are conducting a Traffic Volume and Speed Survey. Once they have compiled the results of that survey they will consult with the PSNI to consider if the speed limit is sufficient for his stretch of road.

“PSNI have already written to me to say that if the criteria is met they would be of the opinion that they would support a reduction on this stretch of road considering that a previous study showed that between McCartney’s Bridge and the nearby Cockhill Road junction the average speed was significantly lower than the 60mph limit,” said Mr Frew.

He added: “The most important part of my request is that Roads Service consider providing a footpath along this stretch of road from the existing footpath at the top of the hill down along Hazelwood Terrace and continuing to Carmossan Park. This request has been passed to the Network Development Section of Road Service for them to consider.

“This process could take some time and, even if they agreed to it, they would have to draw up a scheme, talk to all relevant landowners and find the budgetary requirements. “Having said all that, this is, I believe, a vital scheme which should go ahead and I will certainly be pushing for this scheme to be included in any future plans,” said the MLA.

He pointed out he has, in the past, successfully called on council to replace fencing around the green area and play park in Carmossan Park and on the Housing Executive to clean up the footpaths within the green making it safer for the residents.

He added: “Health and safety could be enhanced even more by providing a footpath along the busy road to allow pedestrians to walk in safety down to the play park and further on.”