By Lesley Walsh and Sarah Curran
MILLISLE residents are being asked to make their views known on the issue of pedestrian access to the village’s household recycling centre.
Alderman Robert Adair has called on Millisle residents to contact him with their opinions on the subject, following a report by Ards and North Down Council’s Environment Committee which found last year’s trial periods showed limited use by customers arriving on foot.
The DUP representative referred to plans to shelve the decision for a month to allow time to get further figures about the trials and allow for an ‘informed decision’, noting it would cost tens of thousands of pounds to adapt the HRC for pedestrian access.
In the meantime, Mr Adair has called on Millisle constituents to voice their opinions on the matter.
Mr Adair said: “The report we got said there was not a high uptake from the public on it and I have to say as a local councillor in Millisle, no one had raised with me the need for pedestrian access to the HRC.
“It is a lot of money, but what I would like to know is if anyone in Millisle would like to use that service, to contact the local councillors, so we can be better informed and make a better decision.
“As it stands, I would be minded not to support it because nobody has contacted me about it and the council report is saying there was no usage.”
His UUP Ards peninsula colleague, Pete Wray, said his initial rationale is that pedestrianisation should not take place at Millisle, but should occur at Holywood, where a trial was also conducted.
Mr Wray continued: “Following my own consultation, I believe this is the best course of action. It’s clear that residents in Holywood have expressed a desire for this, and we need to listen to them.”
Viewing the spend in Millisle as unjustified, he pointed out: “Let’s remember, that the two communities who expressed a desire for pedestrian access were Holywood and Donaghadee.
Due to the fact it wasn’t logistically possible in Donaghadee, officers have then moved onto the next HRC geographically which is in Millisle.
“Of course this wouldn’t help anyone in Donaghadee. We aren’t going to see somebody walking from Donaghadee to Millisle carrying a fridge on their back,” he said.
Mr Wray dismissed the need for ‘so many measures’ to accommodate pedestrianisation at HRCs as ‘health and safety gone mad’.
“Right beside the HRC in Millisle is the Eurospar, where many people are parking cars and walking across the forecourt without any issue. Yet council officers are insisting that two or three cars at any one time along with somebody walking into the centre, would be dangerous.
“I accept that as a statutory organisation, we must protect ourselves against litigation. I’m fighting a losing argument around using common sense, however in no way can I justify this spend for something that doesn’t benefit from wide community support.”
