SIX years after taking the decision to make the move from their Strangford Road headquarters, Down Councillors have finally witnessed the opening of a new chapter in the life of the local authority.

At an official ceremony at the Downshire Hospital site on Monday, Council chairman Eamonn O’Neill cut the first sod to begin work on the multi-million pound project which will see Down District Council moving into the 21st Century.

In a time when the economic downturn and looming budget cuts dominate the headlines, the local Council has taken the first step in producing a new administration centre which will result in the creation of jobs across several industries in the district.

Despite not knowing what the future holds for the Council’s overall budget, the ceremony has marked a new era for staff and Councillors alike with work starting on the £11.5m project.

£2.5m vessel safety scheme

A LONG-AWAITED £2.5m scheme to help South Down’s fishermen to improve the safety and efficiency of their boats is finally up and running.

Last week Fisheries Minister Michelle Gildernew announced that the package of support, which is part of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), has now opened for applications.

The Minister said: “The Vessel Modernisation and Selectivity Measure will provide £2.5m of much-needed grant support to our 330 licensed fishing vessels.”

She explained the aid should make the local fleet “more efficient, sustainable and safer.”

“The approved scheme has been designed to address the key areas of need identified by the industry itself in the 2009 survey of the fleet’s modernisation needs, including safety, quality, energy efficiency, use of technology and improved working conditions,” the Minister added.

Alan McCulla OBE, chief executive of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO), welcomed last week’s announcement.

“The delivery of this much-anticipated financial assistance has proven to be a long and frustrating process, but we look forward to working closely with DARD (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) to ensure this and other elements of the EFF will provide a real difference for our fishermen,” he said.

FREAK weather conditions for this time of year caused the sinking of five boats in Newcastle Harbour earlier this week.

The vessels, which had been tied along the wall at the south quay, sank early on Monday morning after being swamped by sea water, but all were successfully refloated and moved to a safer location by the following evening.

One boat was fully recovered while the remaining four affected needed to be pumped out. Upon initial inspection none of the boats involved seemed to have suffered any structural damage although the full extent of the damage has yet to be assessed.

No one was on board any of the vessels when the extreme weather conditions hit. Marking the end of summer, high tides and strong winds combined to bring about events at the harbour.