Thursday, 27 September 2007

Vibrant Villages in Portballintrae

This once delightful seaside village has become something of a ghost town in winter; the small shops have gone and many local residents have departed.

The gloom rises when the second-home owners come to town - and so does the aroma. I understand the sewage discharge into the bay at peak periods has created pollution levels that are twice as bad as, say, Castlerock and Portrush.

Why have our ministers (direct rule and local), public representatives and planners allowed such circumstances to come about? The Planning Appeals Commission has put a brake on the 'concreting over' of the old Salmon Fishery site but much more needs to be done.