CASTLEWELLAN residents have described the “living nightmare” they endured last week when raw sewage swamped their gardens and even came through pipes and into a bathroom.

People living in the O’Donnell Close area of the town said they could not believe what they were seeing when the effluent burst through a manhole, flooding the outside of their homes with sewage which, at its worst, was 12-inches deep.

Residents, who are tenants of the Rural Housing Association, recalled how at the height of last week’s burst, an elderly couple were left with no option but to take “drastic measures” to clean the effluent from their shower, sink and toilet while others saw the raw sewage spilling right up to their back doors.

Three properties were affected during last week’s incident.

Tenants and a local politician have joined forces in calling for immediate action to be taken to ensure such a leak does not reoccur.

A victory for fairness

KILKEEL is celebrating a victory for fairness, a victory delivered by people power.

The local community mounted a sustained and determined campaign against plans to seriously undermine the town’s library service.

And the campaign paid off when last week it was confirmed that initial plans to limit Kilkeel Library’s opening hours to 30 hours a week had been discarded.

Under revised proposals announced last Thursday the local library will now open for 40 hours a week.

The change of heart was heavily influenced by an announcement from Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) Minister Carál Ní Chuilín two days earlier that an extra £2.4 million would be provided over the next three years for library services across Northern Ireland.

The original unpopular proposals were prompted by a desire to make savings.

The Libraries NI Board moved Kilkeel Library into their Band 3 category initially, meaning that it faced opening for 30 hours instead of the current 46 hours – a 35 per cent cut which would have equated to two days of closure. The new 40 hours a week opening arrangements will come into effect in June.

THE approved route for the much-anticipated Ballynahinch bypass scheme was unveiled in Stormont last night.

Although funding is still not available for the project, it has been estimated it will cost up to £50 million to create the 3.1 kilometre-long road, which will run to the north and east of the market town.

The long-running campaign for the bypass was first sparked almost 40 years ago.

In recent decades traders, residents and commuters alike have suffered the knock-on effects of the lengthy delays through the town; with many business people saying shoppers were avoiding the market town due to its regular congestion problems.

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy revealed the new route to local politicians after a series of discussions on the matter throughout yesterday.

The money needed to fund the project is not available in the current budget period but Roads Service will continue to progress the Ballynahinch scheme, as resources allow, so that it may be ready for construction should finance become available.