“Utility businesses are coming into the city and digging up where they need to and just filling in a hole when they leave.”
A Co Down councillor has dropped “the F word” over concerns about utility companies leaving Lisburn pathways in a poor state.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s regeneration and growth committee heard a Stormont department was now been engaged over the matter.
Companies digging up the streets to install cables and other materials have been criticised on claims of damaging the public realm with a “fill a hole” attitude.
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Downshire East DUP councillor Uel Mackin said:”I am going to drop the F word and what I mean is about footpaths in Lisburn
“Utility businesses are coming into the city and digging up where they need to and just filling in a hole when they leave. The public realm of the city is suppose to be an attraction to visitors and shoppers and they should be in a good condition.
“Something that we worked on with a good deal of pain to have a good public realm in Lisburn.
“The utility companies are now at it again on Bridge Street. Is there anything as a council we can do about this?”
A council officer responded: “We are in contact with the Department for Infrastructure.
“The difficulty is that there is an adopted area of the footpaths. I would say that it is not just utility companies, but HGV lorries coming in and off loading with the area left in a poor state.
“We will contact DfI again about this.”
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