Sinn Féin MLA, Philip McGuigan, has welcomed the details of an ‘economy kick start and community transformation budget’ announcement from the Infrastructure Minister, Nicola Mallon, but has said that the North Antrim Constituency must see its fair share of the money.
Mr. McGuigan said:
“I have written to the Minister to request that North Antrim sees the benefit from this cash injection. Our main towns of Ballycastle, Ballymena and Ballymoney along with the bigger villages will all be crying out for money and investment as we try to recover from the current covid19 crisis. I have asked that our towns are included in the £20m funding for blue/green infrastructure which will support our communities through this transformation, promoting active travel and shaping our places to live in the new normal.
“I have long since extolled the benefits to North Antrim if we can progress both the Ballycastle to Ballymoney and the Ballymena to the Glens Greenways. These could be a game changer for local communities and bring plenty of economic benefits to businesses. I have again urged the Minister to ensure that the poitive benefits of Greeways can be felt by communities outside of the major cities. We need Government investment to make both Greenways happen and we should use the current crisis and moving to a new kind of more sustainable future to provide momentum.
“Obviously given the rural nature of this constituency it is also vitally important that our road network is improved and this should happen as quickly as possible. Investment and proper planning, good consultation with local communities can ensure that we all benefit from this additional money and transform our communities for the better.”
