Working In and For Communities

Over the past number of years I have been centrally involved in helping people from all parts of Newry with a range of issues. Having a direct link to and working with the large number of elected representatives that Sinn Féin in Newry has to offer enables quick and decisive action to help those in need.

Having been born and raised in the Meadow estate it would be safe to say that I know a lot of the residents and their families and through this friendship I have earned the trust and respect of many of these people and below here are a few examples of this at work.

"Pig Hall Lonan" as we know it or "The Wheel" as other people might know it is a road that runs from the busy Camlough Road down into the Meadow past Helen's Terrace. This old part of The Meadow is a very settled community and the row of red brick terraced houses which faces onto Sandy's Field is a striking feature for anyone travelling into Newry. However, in recent times as Newry city centre has become more congested with traffic and has less free car parking, Pig Hall Lonan offers a short cut into Newry and the temptation to park on the Meadow Road. 

The residents have reported a sharp increase in the volume of cars and the speed of the cars and they have been crying out for traffic calming measures to deal with this. They are rightfully concerned about the safety of their children at play and the fear of them being knocked down. It is very difficult for oncoming traffic to see children such is the closeness of their homes to the road. For our part we have facilitated a number of meetings with all the relevant agencies but to date DOE are reluctant to install speed ramps however the situation remains under review. Newry and Mourne Council has installed signage similar to that at the entrance to Derrybeg, at the top and bottom end of the road making motorists aware that children are playing in the area, and they must be commended for this. But this in itself it not enough, motorists need to be mindful that there are children present on this road and they need to be aware at all times of the possibility of a child running out onto the road, they should also reduce their speed when on the road.

In terms of the general maintenance of the area our elected reps have also been pressing the council and DOE to carry out regular clean ups and hedge cutting to ensure that the area is kept tidy. Again there have been several important site meetings with residents and officials to highlight concerns and issues in the area. We are determined to ensure that all the agencies are held to account in relation to their responsibilities. We continue to talk to the residents on a regular basis to make sure that all their concerns are being dealt with.