Strabane Sinn Féin Councillor Brian McMahon is concerned that pedestrian safety will be compromised by the removal street lighting from the rear of homes as well as that servicing internal pathways in the Carlton Drive area of the town.
Cllr McMahon said in “liaison meetings” with Roads Service he, and other Sinn Fein councillors, would be strongly pressing the case that health and safety concerns must become paramount in the upgrades as well as those already undertaken.
Cllr McMahon said: “The Carlton Drive area is the latest local estate to be undergoing a street lighting upgrade.
“Residents only became aware, through talking to the workmen, that as part of this upgrade existing lighting to be removed from not only the rear of homes but also that which currently services internal pathways.
“Sinn Féin contacted the Head of the DRD Street Lighting Section in Omagh at the beginning of last week requesting that these plans to be urgently reviewed given the health and safety concerns being expressed to us by local residents.
“In particular, residents were concerned about the danger that would be posed to pedestrians on the widely used internal path from the Melmount Road, down Collins Walk, Gormley Cresent, Gallany Ct etc and we particularly pressed the case for lighting on this path to be retained given that it is a busy thoroughfare down through the estate.
“The Head of Street Lighting has now told us that he has now re-assessed the situation and although he would concede to lighting along the rear path from the Melmount Road to Collins Walk he would not be in a position to make any other concessions.”
Cllr McMahon concluded: “As with similar issues arising out of the so-called upgrades in Ballycolman Estate, Lisnafin park and Townsend Street/Terrace there is a growing concern that the Departmental Directive issued to Roads Service to use these upgrades to cut costs is being done so at the expense of pedestrian safety.”
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