Many of the residents of Killard Square and the surrounding area in Ballyhornan are living in dire circumstances, writes Jorge Velasquez.
Earlier in the week, the Down News team went to Ballyhornan to meet Geraldine Doherty, chairwoman of the BDA, (Ballyhornan Development Agency) to talk about the conditions of the roads around Killard Drive.
The roads of Killard Drive are riddled with potholes of varying sizes, some reaching two feet deep. Driving along these roads is hazardous enough during the summer months, but it becomes more dangerous and almost inaccessible during the winter.
The roads are in this state because, after the MOD “up and left” in 1991 and closed RAF Bishopsourt, the roads changed hands several times before finally settling a few years ago to a community of private owners. The owners technically now ‘own’ the roads, but they did not have the funding to repair these roads to bring them up to standard so the Roads Department could adopt them, so they fell into in disrepair. This is the key issue that Geraldine and the BDA are trying to fix.
Geraldine said: “We are attempting to secure funding from Space and Place and other agencies so we can get a suitable base of operations to achieve this goal. We need to improve the local roads and lighting and sewerage system. Basically, our plan is to create a safe loop pathway from the inland Bishopscourt area to Tullyronan estate nearby linking to Ballyhornan village. It will mean only one crossing on the main road but should open up the area for pedestrians and cyclists.
“Many families who originally came from Belfast bought houses here, both holiday homes, and as permanent homes to get away from the Troubles in the city at the time. Many of those who moved here, especially the elderly, now have problems leaving their homes, both by car and on foot, especially at night, due to the lack of streetlights in the neighbourhood.
“Many people also fear for their health in an emergency as an ambulance or a fire engine would have great difficulty getting close to quite a number of the houses in the back of the Killard Square/drive neighbourhood.
“The winter months are the worst and local residents have already had a number of bad falls. One resident was knocked unconscious and we had to call the ambulance.”
Brian Farrelly, another member of the BDA, told me of his ordeals during these darker winter months. Brian suffers from diabetes and a curvature of the spine which make walking even short distances difficult This makes walking to and from the bus stop a real problem, and he cannot drive because of his disabilities.
Brian explained: “During the winter, after getting off the bus, I would need to take up to twenty minutes to navigate the 200 metre stretch of road to my house, and after making it home, I would literally go straight to bed exhausted. It would be too dangerous to walk the streets around here because of the potholes, broken ground and even the occasion spells of ice in the winter.
“Even those without disabilities refuse to leave their houses later in the evenings because of the state of the roads. Many people require torches to navigate the treacherous ground, for fear of falling or slipping.
“There have been a number of attempts to fix the roads. In 2011, a so-called ‘Task Force’, made up of various government agencies including civil engineers and politicians, met up to fix these problems. They got nowhere, and dissolved soon afterwards. And this is not the only case. Time and time again, people have come forward to try and get the roads improved, and very little has come about from their efforts.”
The roads are not the only concern of the BDA. They also want to improve the tourism aspect of the Ballyhornan village. Their goals include the opening of an improved general store, which would bring a steady influx of income to the village and would be a much easier alternative to driving to Ardglass or Strangford to get milk and bread.
Another goal of the BDA is to open a hot food or coffee bar that would also contain a tourist information desk, so that anyone visiting would be able to go somewhere especially with children. This development would allow ramblers to get refreshments after their long walks on the beach, enticing them back to the small village to do their walks again.
The BDA is trying to enlist the help of many politicians and others to assist them in this endeavours, and welcome cross-party support.
***
(Jorge Velasquez is a student at the De La Salle High School in Downpatrick on work experience with Down News.)
