Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has spoken out against the plans for the reform of local Government.
Lord Empey said:
“From the moment the proposals were introduced in 2007 by Arlene Foster, Ulster Unionist Ministers pleaded with her to make changes. We felt from the start that they amounted to a Gerrymander of Belfast as part of some political deal with Sinn Fein, and my view on that has not changed.'
The proposal to take Forestside shopping centre out of Belfast and put it in Lisburn is barking mad. It is nowhere near Lisburn and is purely a political decision as part of some carve-up strategy. Furthermore, the placing of the Ballybeen estate and Dundonald area along with Lisburn is also difficult to justify. This means that Lisburn starts a few hundred yards from Stormont's front gate!!
The Ballybeen estate was created for people whose houses on the Newtownards Road were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s. There are no road, bus or rail connections nor any community connections whatsoever between Ballybeen and Lisburn.
The Executive is also persisting with the bringing together of Fermanagh and Omagh. As far as I can see there is no enthusiasm for this proposal either. Fermanagh identifies more with Dungannon and Omagh with Strabane. Castlederg has no connections with Londonderry but is being bolted on, again for some as yet unseen political reasons.
I sincerely hope that some sense of reality can be established before these foolish mistakes are made.”