Consultation underway on Doury Road Action Plan

A community engagement process got underway yesterday (Monday), in Ballymena North Centre which will run until the end of this month.

The Doury Road Estate is one of a number of pilot areas selected on the basis of deprivation for the Department of Social Development (DSD) led “Building Successful Communities which aims to improve existing housing, deliver new social and affordable homes, deliver environmental upgrading and improve access to amenities and to economic activity.

An update to Mid & East Antrim Borough Council’s Community Planning committee meeting in Ballymena last week revealed that DSD had appointed consultants to support the process and finalise draft plans for the local pilot for which £250k of funding was available.

From Monday, a draft Action Plan, recently released by the consultants, was made available to view and comment on at the Ballymena North facility as part of an overall consultation process running to November 30, the committee was told.

Members went on to give permission for Council officers to finalise discussions with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on the purchase of a small strip of land from Council at Windsor Walk to allow for an environmental programme of works including replacement fencing.

They also welcomed a proposed improvement of lighting and pathway upgrade by Transport NI from the community centre along the periphery of the Council pitch to Kew Link/Kew Gardens, agreeing that the path be closed to the public to facilitate the DSD funded upgrade which should be ready to get underway in December.

A Council officer’s report on the proposals to the Committee pointed out that “both schemes will be beneficial to the Doury Road Estate, aesthetically and practically improving the infrastructure of the estate”.