South Down Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard and Councillor John Rice have welcomed the installation of new picnic tables at ‘the windy gap’ on Slieve Boley near Leitrim village.
Slieve Croob councillor John Rice said: “A number of weeks ago I alerted Council officials to vandalism at this site so I am very pleased by their quick response. ’Not only had the picnic benches in the area been vandalised, but they had also suffered extensively from a very cold and long winter.
“This site has one of the best views of the Mournes and surrounding area so it is very worrying that people including one tour bus company had previously been unwilling to travel to the area due to the lack of a suitable picnic site.
“This is a fantastic result to get these new picnic tables installed immediately before the busy summer months when we will be looking to attract the most visitors to the area with a great benefit to the local economy.”
Chris Hazzard MP added: “I want to thank officials at Newry Mourne and Down District Council for their very quick response to Councillor Rice on this issue. Here in South Down, we are privileged to live in a beautiful part of the world, but regular investments in visitor amenities like this at the Windy Gap are vital if we are to realise the true potential of the tourism economy locally.
“It is also fantastic to see the Council opting for tables made entirely from recycled plastic and manufactured locally by one of Ireland’s leading small companies, Ecoplastic in Annacloy.”
