Alex Easton MLA has been left appalled and disgusted at the level of funding for weed spraying, footpath & road resurfacing by Transport NI.

Speaking today Alex Easton MLA said:

“I has suspected for some time that the Ards and North Down Council area are being discriminated against by having the least amount of funding for Weed Spraying and Road & Footpath Resurfacing by Transport NI, in answer to a NI Assembly Questions I had submitted. “

“This is truly appalling that we the Ards and North Down Council area have been given the least amount of funding out of all the other Council areas across Northern Ireland. I have been fighting for footpaths to be sprayed for months , and here we finally know the reason for the failure to get things done, which is we are being short changed by Transport NI.”

“I have also been fighting for years to get roads resurfaced at Beechfield Drive, William Street, and Ashfield Drive in Donaghadee. Churchill Avenue and Shire Road in Millisle. Tower Road, Conlig, Shewsbury Drive, Chester Pk and Hazelbrook in the Clandeboye. And new footpaths for Fairfield Park, Wellington Drive and Towerview Crescent, Rockmount Pk and Greenridge Pk and now we know the reason why.”

“It has become clear why we can’t get things fixed and this discovery shows that we are the poor relations compared to every other Council area across Northern Ireland. This is a damming indictment of Transport NI, and it is no wonder I have been getting so many complaints over the last several years, and I have been banging my head off a brick wall trying to resolve these issues.”

“I want to know who set these budgets and why Ards & North Down is getting the lowest amount of funding, and how long have we been the lowest for. There needs to be some accountability as to why this is happening, and the buck stops with the Department of Infrastructure. I intend to submit a debate to the NI Assembly to highlight this issue and to also write to Transport NI and the Infrastructure Minister to seek an explanation as to the reasons why and what are they going to do about it to give us a fairer balance of the budget.”

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