Press Releases

Lagan Valley MLA Edwin Poots and local Councillor James Tinsley have welcomed the installation of a new sewerage pipeline for Maghaberry. We have been advised by Northern Ireland Water that the scheme will commence this month. It is estimated that the Scheme will take one year to complete and therefore the project should be completed by May 2010. This Scheme will no doubt improve the sewerage line and therefore have long term benefits for the local residents. We have been pressing the Water Service for some time to carry out this work. Its completion will enable resurfacing of Maghaberry Road. This is long overdue and Roads Service, whilst acknowledging the poor surface on the road were unable to commence resurfacing until all of the utilities had completed their work including Water Service. Residents in Maghaberry represented by the local community association have been campaigning for a considerable time as the road has been patched repeatedly leaving a dreadful surface. We will press Roads Service to proceed with this as quickly as possible once Water Service have completed their work.

DUP Alderman Edwin Poots Councillor and MLA for Lagan Valley has stated that a further serious accident which has occurred on the Saintfield Road at Downhill as demonstrated the need once again for crash barriers to be erected at this corner. Alderman Poots has been seeking for some time to have improvements put in place and the Roads Service have responded thus far by improving markings and placing better gripping tyre surface on the corner. However there is still a fundamental problem of motorists crashing on a regular basis. It is particularly dangerous because of the large tree at the bend which then has a steep drop along the side of the road into the nearby field. Someone lost their life at this particular black spot within the last two years and Alderman Poots states that he will be continuing to pursue Roads Service to make this corner safer to road users to reduce the risk of serious injury or even fatality.

Alderman Edwin Poots has welcomed the recent announcement by Roads Service an undertaken, for the resurfacing of the footway and major carriageway reconstruction on Thornleigh Park from Thornleigh Drive. Speaking from his Lagan Valley Constituency office Mr Poots said, I welcome the resurfacing of the footway and also the reconstruction to be carried out by White Mountain Quarries to resurface the existing carriageway as of 12th February 2009. Mr Poots added, I appreciate that such works will take approximately 1 week, but I believe when completed this will prove beneficial to both road users and pedestrians in the selected area. Furthermore he said this will improve the safety for pedestrians. The Road Service apologized in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused and assured me that they will endeavor to keep the disruption to a minimum.

Local MLA Alderman Edwin Poots welcomes the planning permission being granted for a new bus shelter in the Rushmore Park area. Mr Poots says this will be a great asset for the local community as they have somewhere to stand in bad weather, as opposed to being exposed to the elements. He further stated, I would encourage individuals in the area to treat this as a valuable asset to all the community and not to use it for any other reason than for what is intended.

Local MLA Alderman Edwin Poots would like to thank the Roads Service for cleaning the Benson Street Car Park after the entire park was covered in glass. Mr Poots says This is a very well used car park for motorists and they were fearful that their cars would be damaged driving over the broken glass. After contacting the Police, they have arranged for beat officers to focus on the area, to try and dissuade crowds from congregating in the area and causing more damage.

Local MLA Alderman Edwin Poots has welcomed the news from Banbridge District Council, that improvements to the seats in Dromore Square as part of the overall Environmental Improvement Scheme will take place within the next few weeks.    Speaking on the news Mr Poots said I welcome the investment put in by Banbridge Council into the environmental improvements to the Square in Dromore.  I would also welcome correspondence received from the Council in which they have addressed some of the concerns that local residents had with seating in the area, and in this regard the news that a stainless steel raised platform will be added to the seats, and that two new traditional seats with backs on them will also be installed.   Mr Poots added I believe when this work is done, this will be of great benefit to everyone, especially to older people and disabled residents in Dromore.

Local MLA Alderman Edwin Poots has welcomed the news from Banbridge District Council, that improvements to the seats in Dromore Square as part of the overall Environmental Improvement Scheme will take place within the next few weeks.    Speaking on the news Mr Poots said I welcome the investment put in by Banbridge Council into the environmental improvements to the Square in Dromore.  I would also welcome correspondence received from the Council in which they have addressed some of the concerns that local residents had with seating in the area, and in this regard the news that a stainless steel raised platform will be added to the seats, and that two new traditional seats with backs on them will also be installed.   Mr Poots added I believe when this work is done, this will be of great benefit to everyone, especially to older people and disabled residents in Dromore.

Alderman Edwin Poots, MLA and local Councillor, has hit out at the anticipated cuts, which are proposed at the Lagan Valley Hospital. Proposed efficiency savings should in the first instance be aimed at Bureaucracy. In a hard hitting letter to Trust Chief Executive John Compton, Minister of Health, Mr McGimpsey confirmed, that senior management has grown by 85.1%, and management by 96.6%, over the past decade, with clerical administration increased by 26.7%. Mr Poots stated These cuts are being aimed at core essential services, such as Accident & Emergency and Maternity, in spite of the fact that huge growth has taken place in management and administration within the past decade. It is warped logic to apply efficiency savings to frontline core services against this backdrop. Before any cuts are contemplated in core services, this albatross of over-administration needs to be dealt with. Mr Poots also expressed his concern, regarding the ability of other hospitals to meet the additional workload. When the Jubilee Maternity was closed it was on the basis that a new unit would be developed at the Royal. Those proposals have not been delivered and there is no evidence that a new maternity hospital will be built. The Royal & Craigavon do not have the capacity to take the additional workload, and as a consequence the lives of mothers and babies are being put at risk.