Council to act on anti-social behaviour hot-spot in Limavady

A local council are set to take action on an anti-social behaviour flashpoint in a County Derry town by exploring the possibilty of taking ownership.

Councillors on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council moved last week to look into taking ownership of the pathway linking Scroggy Road and Backburn Park in Limavady.

At a meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, Alderman Alan Robinson brought a motion suggesting the Council take ownership of the pathway and restore it to an acceptable state.

“This particular portion of pathway links off the south-eastern quadrant of Limavady, one of the most densely populated in the town,” he said.

“It's a path used by school kids, by residents heading to the town centre, but it is in a terrible state. It's overgrown, the footway is uneven, it's in very poor condition.

“We have tried on a number of occasions to determine ownership of the path, but everyone has denied ownership.

“This has been in poor condition for quite some time. I remember councillors under the old Council raising that path, but it's ping-ponged back and forth with everyone blaming each other.

“There is a public safety aspect to it. There are kids on it, and it doesn't lend itself to anybody walking along it currently, and a tidy-up would be of benefit to the Limavady community.”

Seconding the motion, Cllr Edgar Scott said the path had become a hot-spot for anti-social behaviour – including drug dealing – due to it becoming overgrown.

“There is drug dealing taking place in it, I've had that confirmed by the police,” he said.

County Derry woman intimidated and swore at 90-year-old pensioner

The 49-year-old was sentenced to community service.

“My main concern is, with it being so overgrown, I wouldn't want a young girl who was related to me going down it on her own.

“Even if it's only from a public safety point of view, I would like the hedges trimmed back, so that anybody using it can see there is nobody lurking on it who might attack them.

“We need to do something, because as long as it exists, people are going to use it. It services the south-eastern quadrant of the town.

“It would also encourage more people to use Backburn Path and get them out of their cars and walking, and the shops on Irish Green Street might benefit from it.”

Cllr Ashleen Schenning welcomed the motion and said anti-social behaviour in Limavady was an 'ongoing' problem.

“If we don't have pride in the area, and don't look after it as councillors, then how can we expect our young people to have any pride,” she said.

“It says to them that if something is run-down and desolate then they are going to make it even worse, so it would definitely help towards that.

“It would be a fantastic volunteer project. We are keen for collaborative working between Council and volunteer centres,” she added.

DUP councillor Alderman George Duddy said the motion was a 'first class move'.

“This path has been mentioned as far back as I can remember,” he told the Committee.

“If the path looks clean, tidy and presentable, it will have much better usage and those using it will feel much safter.

“This has been brought up through the PCSP (Police and Community Safety Partnership) a number of times, which is disappointing, but now it's before us, the Council must take the incentive.

“Move on a matter of urgency, and then get volunteers involved to maintain it as time goes on. It is an arterial footpath into the town and we need to take ownership and ensure we clean it up.”

Alderman Duddy suggested that Environmental Services should move on the path in the interim, before the ownership issue goes before the Land and Property Services (LPS) Committee.

Burns night celebrated in Limavady

The event was hosted by the local council's Good Relations Team.