Cookstown waterworks receives £12.9m boost

A £12.9 million investment in wastewater treatment works in Cookstown has been welcomed by a councillor from the town.

At a recent special meeting between Mid Ulster District Council and NI Water, the SDLP’s Cllr Kerri Martin said her party had been regularly pressing for increased investment in wastewater infrastructure locally.

“Significant numbers of constituents have been in touch with me over the last few years regarding the difficulties they have had with getting a house in their hometown due to the lack of capacity for wastewater treatment,” she said.

“This failure of infrastructure has stifled development and limited the number of new builds which could have been built in the town.

“This new investment is therefore great news for local people.

“I also welcome the commitment on two-way communication between NI Water and housing developers during both the planning and construction phases of new developments.

“We have seen the difficulties in developments in Cookstown in the past which have caused heartbreak to so many would-be house purchasers.”

Cllr Martin said improved communication at all stages of new developments would help avoid those problems in future.

She added, “The SDLP have vowed to continue to lobby for much-needed investment in our wastewater infrastructure to lower the restriction this currently imposes on development in rural areas.”