Lewis calls on NMD Council to tidy up Million Tree Walkway at Seaforde
Slieve Croob DUP Councillor Alan Lewis has called for an urgent maintenance at the Seaforde Million Tree Walk following complaints from local residents about the condition of the popular walking route.
“The whole concept of the walk is to provide a natural, wild countryside experience, and I fully support that. However, there is a clear difference between encouraging biodiversity and allowing the route to become so overgrown that it is difficult to use safely.
Councillor Lewis said: “Following complaints from residents, I have asked Council officers to move urgently to begin clearing nettles, brambles and significant overgrowth along the Seaforde Million Tree Walk.
“I have personally visited the walk and, in a number of places, nettles and vegetation are now encroaching onto the path.
“Young children are being stung, access is becoming increasingly difficult, and there is now a clearly worn bypass route through an adjacent field where walkers are choosing to avoid sections of the official path altogether.
“This is an excellent local amenity which attracts families, walkers and visitors to the area. It deserves to be maintained to a standard that allows everyone to enjoy it while still preserving its natural character.
“I have asked Council to arrange for the necessary clearance works to be carried out as soon as possible and will continue to monitor the situation until the path is restored to a safe and accessible condition.”
Councillor Lewis added that routine maintenance throughout the growing season would help prevent the walk reaching its current condition in future years.
