Concerns raised over Coalisland congestion

BY ADAM MORTON

MID Ulster District Council is to seek to address several Coalisland issues with as “few meetings as possible”, the local authority’s chief executive has confirmed.

At the council’s latest monthly meeting, Cllr Dan Kerr told the chamber how residents in Coalisland had contacted him to complain of congestion in the town and express concern about the potential impact it was having on their air quality.

He also asked for an update on a meeting he had called for to address problems of flooding in Kings Row in the town at a meeting of council’s development committee.

“Residents of Coalisland have contacted me recently about the congestion in the town,” he said.

“They are concerned about their air quality as a result of fumes from the vehicles so can we investigate the fume levels at Kings Row to see if residents are right to be concerned.

“I also asked for an update regarding the flooding issue along Kings Row at the development committee meeting, so can I get an update to as to when that meeting is?”

The proposal to investigate the air quality levels in Coalisland was seconded by Cllr Barry Monteith, who noted in a recent meeting with statutory agencies Mimi’s Corner in Coalisland and Dungannon’s Circular Road were mentioned as potential areas of concern.

“I want to second the proposal to investigate congestion around Kings Row and potential issues of air quality in the area,” he said.

“There was a recent meeting between council and statutory agencies about air quality in the two areas of major concern at this stage, in Newell Road and Charlemont Street in Moy.

“It was noted that there are other potential sites with similar issues and the two that were raised that day were Mimi’s corner and the Circular Road here in Dungannon.”

SDLP group leader, Cllr Malachy Quinn said he supported Cllr Kerr’s proposal and asked if a meeting could be organised with Coalisland’s Town Centre Forum to address the issues with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

“If there is a meeting about Kings Row and Mimi’s Corner, can we organise a meeting with the Town Centre Forum and DfI?” said Cllr Quinn.

“There are still outstanding issues stretching from the town’s public realm scheme, particularly in resurfacing the road. If we could organise a meeting to allow us to deal with all the issues in one that would be great.”

Council’s chief executive, Adrian McCreesh, confirmed he and his officer team would seek to ensure the issues were tackled with as few meetings as possible.

“I will seek clarity with Ryan [Black, council’s strategic director of communities and place] and the environmental health team and we will work out the best methodology to arrange one or more meetings to try and address all the issues with as few meetings as possible,” he said.