Ballycastle Lammas Fair 2011

Time for a Management Review?

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Moyle Council District - What A Carry On ...

Is it the weather? We've just had a Carry On Up Torr 2 AND a right carry on in the Council chamber. The Kingdom of Moyle is such a beautiful place; visitors often get a wonderful welcome but these shenanigans are not just a blot on the landscape - they're a disgrace.

And, as if on cue, the rain has begun pouring down :L

Later the same day

Paudie McShane (1st left), Esther Mulholland and Richard Lewis (Moyle Council Officials) and Inspector Bryan Hume

Paudie McShane, the controversial new chairman of Moyle Council, was to have declared the new changing facilities at Dundarave in Bushmills open this evening. However, an earlier exchange of 'pleasantries' concerning this year's Orange Order demonstration staged by Ballycastle District in Ballycastle led to a protest gathering at the facilities. The protesters refused to let the chairman through to the building so he called the function off and departed. The services of the PSNI riot control unit parked out of sight on the other side of town were not needed.

Moyle District Council and New Memorial for Robert Quigg VC

Moyle Council has been asked by Robert Thompson and Robin Swann to consider erecting a memorial or statue to commemorate Robert Quigg VC; Robert is one of the organisers of the annual Bushmills At War exhibition and Robin is the UUP MLA for North Antrim. Following a discussion the Council decided to write to the Royal British Legion in Bushmills and to the Macnaghten family of Dundarave to get their views.

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BBC Your Place and Mine

Ballintoy and Calor Village Competition of the Year 2011

Good News Story from the Kingdom of Moyle
The Good, The BAD and The Beautiful

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Calor Village Competition of the Year 2011

Judgement Day - 23 August 2011

Village Plans for Ballintoy, Cushendun and Mosside

Art Ward's Ballintoy

Game of Thrones Set - Ballintoy Harbour

Moyle Council District - Carry On Up Torr 2

Are we witnessing the demolition of  Sleacht (leacc) na Barragh ?

Carry On Up Torr 2

[click image to enter]

Carry On Up Torr

Rathlin Island - What a Coincidence

Earlier on today, amongst otherwise mainly positive reactions, I spotted the following comment on Trip Advisor from an Aussie visitor to Rathlin Island last year:

.. although the views from the Island are magical, the views around the Island are a disgrace with bits of machine and other junk lying everywhere

I posted the comment on Facebook and sent a message to Moyle councillors and its Chief Executive. Imagine my surprise when I spotted the MV Canna pulling into harbour about 6 pm - carrying a trailer load of scrap!

[click image to enlarge]

Added 26 August

Maybe it wasn't a coincidence. These three beauties came off the island yesterday. :L

Added August 28

Moyle Council spend some time at their bi-monthly meeting this week discussing whether or not to pursue a bloke who dropped a cigarette butt and failed to pay a fixed penalty fine. I wonder what they would have done if he'd dropped a wreck of a car or buried asbestos material in an ASSI.

DRD Minister and Moyle Council Oppose Abandonment of part of Carrickmore Road, Ballycastle

Can the road now be restored to something similar to its original state so that walkers and other users see it for what it is, a public thoroughfare?

DRD Minister and Moyle Council Oppose Abandonment of part of Carrickmore Road, Ballycastle

Moyle District Council, NIEA and 40 Carrickmore Road

The following exchange is a rather limited response to concerns expressed in a 10 June 2011 letter passed by Danny McGill, a Ballycastle local historian, to Richard Lewis, Moyle Council CEO, for the attention of Councillors:

"Council has received a complaint that builders materials which have been dumped have been exposed following a landslip adjacent to 40 Carrickmore Road, Ballycastle which is within the Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI.

I have attached photographs for your information and look forward to your comments." .. Moyle Council 03 August 2011

"Our scientific staff visited the site on 3/8/11.

They noted a small area of erosion which has exposed some concrete and a pipe. There has been no impact on the geological features of Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI.

There is no evidence of a breach of the Environment Order and NIEA can take no further action in this instance.

Further to our email to you on 10/1/11 the current landowner has now been formally notified of the ASSI designation. There has been no further reports of damaging activity since then." .. CDPCompliance, DOE, 10 August 2011

[click images to enlarge]

Why were all of these issues not dealt with in the correspondence between officials of the Council and the Department of the Environment? Has the DOE given a green light to anyone to dump, bury or otherwise dispose of building and other materials in an ASSI?  Councillors as well as the public will undoubtedly be concerned that such serious matters have not been fully addressed. Presumably these DOE scientific officers will now be invited by Council to carry out a fuller investigation.

Update

McGill letter to Moyle Council 18 August 2011 It is to be circulated to Councillors at their next Council meeting on August 22, 2011.

Related DOE issues - Carry on up Torr

Do Moyle Council and other public agencies need to be more assertive when it comes to the public interest: Blot on the Landscape 2 and Locals Keep Out?

Moyle Council District - Carry On Up Torr

Carry On Up Torr [click image]

UPDATE

Moyle District Council

08 August 2011

11. Development at Torr – write to the Enforcement section of the Planning Service detailing quarrying and vandalism in the AONB. Also inform NIEA.
(Requested by Councillor P McShane.

Carry On Up Torr 2