Slow progress on Alexander Street development and lack of involvement for Council

Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O’Loan has expressed serious concerns over the slow progress with the Alexander Street development. He has also complained that Ballymena Borough Council is not being adequately involved in the process.

He said, “What is going on seems closer to a farce than a process. Quality retailing is at the heart of Ballymena’s economic success. But the process led by the Department for Social Development has lurched one way and another with still no clear end in sight. Delays have run into months and then into years. This is not in the long term interest of Ballymena. The rest of the world is not standing still waiting for us. I strongly support the concept of a mixed development involving shops, offices and residences. I also support the examination of the linkage between this scheme and the rest of the town. Indeed part of my exasperation at the delay in this scheme is that it is holding up the wider plan for the whole town which I proposed and Council agreed to two years ago. There needs to be decision and action urgently.

My second concern is the extent to which the Council is sidelined in this whole process. We have not even been informed for many months as to what exactly is going on. This is a ludicrous position for the locally elected representatives. What preparation is this arms-length approach for the new powers of Councils under RPA? We need to have a structured way to get the Council sitting alongside the DSD so that we are informed and consulted at every stage.