McCormick Calls For Better Deal For Rural Villages

GREEN Party local election candidate Mark McCormick is highlighting the “lack of proper representation for the rural villages in the District”. Mark McCormick said, “When it comes to elections it seems that politicians just focus on the large towns with smaller villages and rural areas tending to be forgotten about. I want to use this election as a platform to highlight the issues large and small being faced by our rural populations. [caption id="attachment_22686" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Green Party Council election candidate Mark McCormick at the Hillside Estate in Spa."][/caption] “For example, residents of the Hillside Estate in Spa contacted me about the state of the footpath linking Hillside to the Montalto Estate. The footpath had so much dirt, old sticks, dead leaves and lumps of soil that young mothers with prams, pensioners and people walking their dogs said that it was almost impossible to walk along this stretch of pathway. They were so digruntled that they signed a community petition to express their concern. “Following representations from the Green Party in which we forwarded this petition to Down District Council, we were able to get the path cleaned a returned to an acceptable state. However, I am aware that there was a time when this path was brushed on a regular basis and so I am working to ensure that the path is maintained regularly. “Areas such as the Spa are always neglected when it comes to political representation, and I feel this is reflected in other countryside villages throughout the district as well. Although we have seen some sporadic improvements over recent years, most countryside villages have not seen proper investment for decades. “They are constantly being usurped by the focus on the louder voices of nearby bigger towns. I intend to make sure everyone’s voice is heard in this election and if elected I will make sure no place is forgotten about when it comes to representation and will work towards getting more funding and better and improved services for our smaller rural communities,” added Mark McCormick.