By Ryan Sands
THE council is requesting a meeting between its Mournes councillors and Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to discuss the state of the main road between Newcastle and Kilkeel.
This course of action was unanimously agreed at Monday’s monthly local authority meeting, following a discussion on the issue between representatives of the local DEA.
In September, the council fully endorsed a notice of motion tabled by Laura Devlin (SDLP), which called for the full resurfacing of the A2 road, and subsequently wrote to the minister to request that this be prioritised.
A response from Ms Kimmins was published in the agenda for Monday night’s monthly meeting of all councillors.
In the response, Ms. Kimmins acknowledged the challenges her department faces due to underfunding but emphasized that road safety remains a top priority. She explained that while two resurfacing projects on the A2 had been completed in 2024, no further work is currently planned.
However, local councillors were disappointed with the response. Glyn Hanna (DUP) was disappointed that financial constraints had been blamed for the inaction, while Henry Reilly (DUP) expressed frustration at the lack of action, saying minor improvements could be done as ‘minor works schemes’. Willie Clarke (Sinn Féin) expressed concerns about the road’s safety, urging that proactive measures be taken rather than relying on accident statistics alone.
Jill Truesdale (Alliance) added her support, pointing out ongoing drainage issues. Cllr Clarke proposed that Mournes councillors write to the minister to propose a meeting to push for improvements. The motion was unanimously supported by the council.
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