Moyle District Council - Emergency Access to Bushfoot Strand

Remove the Bollard

It's not just a health and safety issue

It could be a life or death issue

Edwin Poots

Minister for Public Safety


Minister**, there are a range of issues 
surrounding this tragedy that need to be addressed.


1. Sufficient and clear warning signs of the hazards.
2.  Quick and easy access for emergency service vehicles.
3. One name for the location: Bushfoot Strand - as shown on OS maps

click >  The arrival of the bollard
August 2007

Access to Runkerry Beach via Sand Rodden


The TDRM stated that a request had been received from the Giant’s Causeway & Bushmills Railway that due to increase number of vehicles causing serious health and safety implication in relation to the level crossing at the Sand Rodden, that the gates on both sides of the crossing should now be padlocked.


The TSM recommended a collapsible bollard would be best placed at the level crossing at the Sand Rodden.


After discussion, it was agreed that a collapsible bollard would be placed on vehicular access to Runkerry Beach via the Sand Rodden crossing at Ardihannon.


Moyle District Council Minutes 13 Nov 2006 [DOC]

click>  Bollard blocks ready access for emergency vehicles
May 2008

 I'm told that the fire was reported about 2:40pm and the first of the tenders was there by 3pm. The firefighters didn't have a key to lower the bollards; I understand one was eventually delivered by a member of the railway staff about 3:40pm just before I'd arrived. .. May 2008

[click on images to enlarge]

Padlock removed; in the past there has been both a padlock on the bollard as well as a heavy chain and padlock securing the crossing-gate to the post. I'm told that the emergency service vehicles drove down the Sand Rodden to this barrier, (one or more) [edit] turned around, drove back up and then along Runkerry Road and then returned to the barrier at the Sand Rodden^^. I'm also told that a emergency vehicle was being driven from Ballycastle with the repeated request from HQ to 'Make Best Speed'. Was it carrying a key to the padlock?

Tracks on the grass

Tracks in the mud

Where the Sand Rodden meets Bushfoot Strand

Looking across the waves to Portballintrae

and thinking about the little girl.

Very sadly, she did not survive her ordeal.

Ulster Unionist councillor [and Moyle District Council chair] Sandra Hunter said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the young girl’s family at this harrowing time.”

This BBC NI news report highlights the muddle over naming, a muddle that could cause critical delay. Bushfoot Strand, Runkerry Beach and Bushmills Strand are one and the same so let's stick to the Ordnance Survey name: Bushfoot Strand.

The naming issue is becoming even more surreal: "She fell into the sea at Bushtown Strand shortly after 2pm on Sunday." UTV website

A Facebook friend has just flagged up a related issue; this had already been drawn to my attention by a Moyle councillor last night. She says that bollards block access to the road down to the Causeway stones from 9 am to 9 pm. This is a right of way but, much more importantly, the emergency services shouldn't have to hang around while a key or the key manager is located.

Added July 17

We need some timings and a more detailed comment from witnesses about what they heard and maybe saw.  Please contact this blog via details at the top of the webpage,

I think this UTV commentary is too ambiguous:

"Wilkinson: A man went into the water to help after he had raised the alarm with the emergency services. 

Munro: A gentleman had been walking his dog seen the girl get into difficulty and had called the coastguard by 999 and then got in and effected a rescue and helped extract the girl from the surf. A passer-by, police and other people decided to continue with CPR until the ambulance service arrived.

Wilkinson: Bushfoot Strand runs from Portballintrae towards the Giants Causeway. At the Causeway end a bollard had to be unlocked to allow an emergency response vehicle onto the beach and, before that, the first ambulance to arrive onto the scene couldn't take their vehicle any further than the golf-course. Because they were unable to bring their ambulance onto the beach three paramedics then walked along the strand to reach the little girl. It took them thirteen minutes to reach her after the initial emergency call."

We have second witness evidence^^ that three vehicles sped from Portballintrae to Bushmills and then out towards the Causeway: a Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) and two Coastguard vehicles, one with a trailer attached. Photos show three such vehicles on the strand beside a group of people. Call out time has been given by one source as 14:04, by another as just after 14:00.

Presumably an ambulance could have gone into the car-park at the end of Beach Road, Portballintrae, lowered the (Coleraine Borough Council?) bollard there and driven down to west side of the foot-bridge across the River Bush. Clarification is needed about what happened at the Sand Rodden, the only road access for the Coastguard and emergency response vehicles to Bushfoot Strand. If they had keys they could/should have gone there directly rather than via Portballintrae, a route that added an additional 3 to 6 miles to their travel - depending on their place of departure. 

Delays may not avert tragedies but they certainly heighten the risk.

[contd]

^^ This second witness - independent of the first witness - has shed some additional light on the difficulties confronted by the emergency services. I'm told that the first emergency services vehicle to arrive in Portballintrae was an RRV and this was followed by an ambulance. The ambulance may have gone to the Beach Road car-park but it came back up Ballaghmore Road and turned left down to Bushfoot Golf Club; presumably its personnel made their way down to the River Bush and over the foot-bridge that leads on to Bushfoot Strand. I'm told a second ambulance appeared and made its way down to the golf club.

Two Coastguard vehicles appeared and drove along Ballaghmore Road into Portballintrae. These two vehicles then returned accompanied by an RRV. They were heading towards Bushmills and could be heard making their up the Whitepark Road towards the Causeway; they were identified as looking very like the three vehicles that later appeared in photos from Bushfoot Strand. All three vehicles returned to Bushmills and headed out to Portballintrae; they subsequently retraced their route out towards the Causeway. What were the reasons for all this movement hither and thither when their services may have been required on Bushfoot Strand? Photographic evidence shows the time of arrival and departure of the RRV from the incident spot on the strand.

The second witness also observed a black car parked in front of the bollarded roadway in the Beach Road car-park that Coleraine Borough Council vehicles use to get access down to the foot-bridge; there was no-one in the black car but its hazard warning lights were flashing. Perhaps its personnel had gone down onto Bushfoot Strand. Some time later this car was observed travelling speedily on the Ballaghmore Road towards Bushmills and later on returning to Portballintrae, overtaking any cars that were maintaining the speed limit. What was the reason for leaving Portballintrae? Had it gone to collect people or medication or equipment?

Added July 19

Return to the Sand Rodden - a second visit within a few days by the emergency services.

** Minister has already acknowledged request - 8 am July 16

Japanese Knotweed on the Causeway Coast 3

Department of the Environment Fiddles While Knotweed Blooms


Japanese Knotweed on the Causeway Coast 1

Japanese Knotweed on the Causeway Coast 2

Alex Attwood MLA, Minister of the Environment: It is widely recognised that invasive alien species, such as Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), are the second biggest threat to biodiversity loss worldwide.

Really? The actions of governance agencies, so far, don't suggest that the DoE is likely to get to grips with this threat any time soon. Does there not need to be a programme of eradication directed and monitored by the DoE with assistance given to individual landowners?

DRD Roads Service June 25

"Last year several locations within the public road boundary, including Isle Road, were treated by an approved competent contractor using an appropriate systemic herbicide. Unfortunately, this type of weed usually requires multiple annual treatments to successfully eliminate re-growth.  I can confirm that further treatments are planned very soon on all known locations within the public road in the Moyle District Council area, with repeat treatments as required. The additional locations in Bushmills .. are on private lands for which Roads Service has no responsibility."

DRD Roads Service July 9


"I am pleased to confirm that our Environmental Maintenance Contractor has been instructed to treat many sites throughout the Ballymoney and Moyle Council areas, including Isle Road. Work is due to commence shortly and we will ensure that Isle Road is actioned early in the programme of work.

The effectiveness of this treatment will be monitored."

DoE NIEA July 2

"Landfill tax credits are administered either directly by Councils or by the Ulster Wildlife Trust on their behalf. In addition Moyle Council have themselves previously applied for NIEA Grant Aid to fund a Local Biodiversity Officer within the council. This funding would not be available to each individual landowner to eradicate knotweed from their own back gardens or for developers to eradicate it from development sites where there is obvious commercial gain. It would be intended for wider catchment scale environmental projects such as community led projects which aim to raise awareness and eradicate knotweed from a wider area." ..

"My advice would be that each site is assessed individually to see what herbicide is best suited, which method of application etc as one solution does not fit all sites. The most important factor is the quality of herbicide used (i.e. quantity of active ingredient) and the conditions in which it is sprayed." ..

"The first year spray will always be the most difficult but in subsequent years the regrowth will be much less vigorous and easier to spray. By year 3 to 4 in most cases the knotweed regrowth does not resemble typical knotweed growth appearing only as a small red twig like shoot with no leaves. It is important these are followed up on to prevent the knotweed from re-establishing.

All of this information has been provided in the training which [has been] provided to councils to help them make informed decisions. Similarly it has been discussed with your local Roads Service staff who intend to assess the options for each site prior to spraying."

DoE NIEA July 5


"The Roads Service have appointed a new professional contractor to spray the areas they have identified on their land. This contractor is different from the previous spraying contractor. From the images supplied I would agree that the regrowth was excessive given the plant had been sprayed which could be down to a range of factors." ..

"NIEA are not in a position to oversee the work of a professional contractor working on behalf of Roads Service as you can hopefully understand. We would only oversee this on the properties we own or manage. I have however spoken to local Roads Service staff at length who are aware of all these issues to ensure that they are built into their spraying requirements to ensure the stands are more effectively sprayed this time. They have also increased awareness amongst their staff and have subsequently identified other areas which they will also be spraying."

The Diaspora - Homecomings and Gatherings and Shortcomings 2

The Diaspora - Homecomings and Gatherings and Shortcomings 1

Homecoming Scotland 2014

"Homecoming Scotland 2014 will welcome visitors from around the world to join our inspirational year-long celebration. In the year that Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup, a nation-wide programme of events will run throughout 2014 to put this dynamic and creative nation firmly on the international stage.

Recognising the success of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations in rallying Scotland around a common theme, a series of years of focus were established to take the country through to 2014. The years spotlight some of Scotland’s greatest assets; food and drink, our reputation as an active destination, a place of culture and creativity, and a place of natural beauty."

The Gathering Ireland 2013

"It’s about asking anyone who has Irish blood, a link to Ireland, or even just a love of our country – to join us for a series of amazing and diverse events throughout 2013.

They will range from clan gatherings where people will discover their roots, to rugby clubs inviting foreign teams to their sevens tournament, and groups of international business colleagues conferencing in Ireland.

Those amazing events will be created by you, your neighbour, your work colleague or your sports team. They will be organised by individuals, groups, business colleagues and clubs within the community who will reach out to their worldwide networks. For those organising the events, there will be lots of information, help and support available on this website over the coming months.

The Gathering is a powerful grass-roots movement. By reconnecting with our global community, it will be like completing an electrical circuit. Energy will flow and our community will light up and sparkle with its own vitality.

Let’s light up 2013 with an unprecedented celebration of Ireland’s global community, and our past, present and future."

But There's A Catch

Many in the Diaspora will think of Ireland as the island home of some of their ancestors, an island of 32 counties. However, this event, though promoted abroad by Tourism Ireland, is being organised by Fáilte Ireland on behalf of the Irish state ie Northern Ireland is not included.

Needless to say, Northern Ireland MLAs managed to confuse themselves over these two different Irelands and both Dublin and Belfast have failed to take account of the needs, desires and widespread roots of the Diaspora.

Just recently, I assisted a family from California. They'd spent a little time in Scotland as they considered their family name to be Scottish; they knew the townland in Antrim one strand of the family had left circa 1870 - I was able to take them to the very farmhouse with the aid of Griffith's Valuation - and then they were off to Mayo to locate another strand.

Sadly, the tourism support arrangements were of limited value to this California family and perhaps it's just as well they came in 2012 rather than 2013; their 'Irish blood', seemingly, was only recognised as Irish by Dublin in Mayo. As for Belfast, it could do with a transfusion of wit :L

Added July 5

Jim, formerly of Portrush, now of NY state, USA, writes: "Travelling to Belfast from NA has become considerably more difficult in the past several years. Only one direct flight now from the East Coast. And expensive. I am quoted $1,800.00 round trip economy NY-London-Belfast-London-NY. I could do it for less if I first flew to Chicago (2.5 hours in the wrong direction), then to Glasgow and finally Belfast - but 22 hours travel time in EACH direction ... no thanks ... I could be in Australia in that time, and for a lot less $ into the bargain.

Added July 11

John of CA state, USA writes: Your tour of Magherintendry was the highlight of our trip, especially given all of the years I have mistakenly been trying to locate my particular branch of the McConaghys in "Ballymoney". My daughter was especially thrilled.

Added July 12

This news report by Greg Dobbs highlights the problems created by the use of Ireland for both the island of 32 counties and the state of 26 counties, even for an experienced commentator. Tourism Ireland is not an Irish government agency as stated by Greg but a limited company; it markets the whole island jointly on behalf of the governing administrations in Dublin and Belfast. I wonder if Greg has any connections to the Castle Dobbs family of Carrickfergus, a family that played such a large part in the migration of folks from Ulster and Scotland to North Carolina.

Portrush - In the Doldrums 3

©/Lorcan Doherty Photography - June 21th 2012.

NO FEE FOR REPRODUCTION

Ministers Foster and McCausland appear to be more than satisfied with the Station Square project but others might wonder if they and/or their officials/agencies are handing over public funds willy-nilly for public realm projects that have been exposed to inadequate supervision.

Perhaps the Planning Minister, Alex Attwood, ought to ask his officials to look at a planning process that permitted the creation of public realm works with a maritime theme that block a maritime view.

C/2012/0260/LDP was online on 23 June but it was missing from the Planning Service website when the first NALIL blog on this topic was published; it is currently absent!

Some of the details in the LDP online application for a Certificate of Lawfulness were barely legible but I had obtained copies from the divisional planning office.

The general layout and the boundary line drawings, in my opinion, fail to show the 'precise nature' of the works being undertaken yet the Planning Service awarded a Certificate of Lawfulness. The application form [pdf file] clearly requests 'a detailed description of all such operations' along with 'such plans to scale or drawings as are necessary to show their precise nature'.

Planning permission was subsequently sought and given for the canopy and for the masts but, as far as I can see, no permission was sought for the prow, a feature that rises to ten feet above the pavement and is dramatically higher than the flower/shrubbery-bed that preceded it. I also understand that permission has yet to be given for the lighting standards