02 March 2010  

McCREA CONDEMNS PROPOSED CLOSURE OF COOKSTOWN ROADS

SERVICE YARD

DUP Mid Ulster MLA Ian McCrea has condemned the news that Roads Service Direct are proposing to close the Cookstown Roads Service yard.

Speaking after a presentation from Roads Service Direct to Cookstown Council’s Policy and Resources Committee last Tuesday night Ian McCrea said:

“I was approached a number of months ago and informed that this closure was on the cards and raised it directly through a written question to the Regional Development Minister who confirmed that Cookstown was one of the Depots being considered for closure.

At the meeting I took the opportunity to question the officials on their proposals and was less than happy to hear that they intend to close the Cookstown yard and operate from Magherafelt.  My main areas of concern was the difficulties that this would bring in extreme weather conditions that they are unprepared for when men would have to leave the job they are working on somewhere in Cookstown and travel through dangerous driving conditions to go to Magherafelt to get into a gritting lorry to travel back to Cookstown to grit the roads that have become worse because of the additional travelling time to a depot.  It will also mean that there are men being diverted from their normal working operations which I have no doubt will impact on delays in the jobs that they are carrying out.

I am also very concerned that there will no longer be the availability of salt in Cookstown and that once again in extreme weather conditions the people of Cookstown will have to travel to Magherafelt to get salt and when people are being advised not to drive in extreme weather conditions, to get salt to grit rural roads the Department are happy to put people’s lives in danger just to get salt.  I find this decision disgraceful and believe that the people of Cookstown should have equality of opportunity.

I made it clear that these proposals were unacceptable and was delighted that the Council unanimously supported my proposal to oppose them.”