Accessibility improvements for County Derry footpath

Mid-Ulster District Councillor Sean McPeake has welcomed planned accessibility improvements that are soon to be carried out by DFI Roads Service on Main Street, Swatragh. 

The works will see the removal and re-location of two large street columns from the footway on the bridge in Swatragh making the footway wide enough to be accessible to wheelchairs and wider children's buggies.

"I wish to commend DFI Street Lighting Division Omagh in agreeing to have these street lights on Swatragh bridge removed from the side of the footway and have them relocated to the rear of the bridge wall,” the Carntogher representative said.

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Cllr Martin Kearney has highlighted the good work being done.

"After recently being contacted by local users of this busy footway within the village I was made aware that the desired widths to permit safe use by wheelchair and users of wider children's buggies was not achievable within this section of the bridge.

"In particular for those using the footway to get from one end of the village to the other or those wishing to visit Mid-Ulster Council's recently refurbished play facilities nearby.

"Wheelchair users and parents with wide buggies using the footway were having to move off the footway on to the busy main roadway in order to pass the protruding street column's.

"The restrictive width between the walls of the bridge, the existing footway and the roadway meant that that this has historically been a safety concern for locals for decades."

Councillor McPeake added: "I am delighted that following a number of meetings on site with local residents, myself and DFI officials that agreement has been reached to re-locate these street lights behind to the rear of the walls on Swatragh Bridge.

"I wish to thank Tracy Bratton and Martin Curran DFI, local landowners and Mid-Ulster District Council Officials for their co-operation in this matter."

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