Co Down train station park and ride plans hit the buffers over road safety concerns at junction

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s (LCCC) planning committee this week heard representations on from Translink and private developer Mr Nigel Herdman regarding commuter connections to Moira train station.

Each application had made objections to each other, with Translink not agreeing pedestrian access to its lands for the private development of a 126 car parking facility.

Representatives of Mr Herdman, with a business address on the Station Road, Moira, made objections to Translink’s plans for 489 car park spaces due to traffic concerns on the Station Road and “significant risk to the environment”.

Following a lengthy debate, the Department for infrastructure was accused by committee chairperson Alliance Alderman Martin Gregg of a “dereliction of duty” when it came to safe guarding a junction of the A26.

He said: “This facility is much needed for the area. Though, I do have a tremendous conflict over no plans to change the turn at the A26 junction. I have seen DfI improve junctions before, I can’t see why they can’t do it this time.

“I think there has been a dereliction of duty here by DfI. As it stands these plans simply compound road safety.”

The committee had heard from Translink that cars parking on nearby streets would be absorbed into the new park and ride facility. It then expected journeys on the Station Road to increase by 5%, which was below the DfI threshold to enforce major changes to road designs.

This was supported by a DfI spokesperson in chambers who further stated a major change of the A26 junction would be at “great cost and require the purchase of third party lands”.

It was then decided by the committee on a vote of six to four, to defer the application for further information and negotiations to be entered into.

The chamber heard the second application, by the private developer, that it had been a “previously preferred location” by Translink in 2016 with reports carried out by the transport company.

Significant concerns of road access points into the park and ride were highlighted as the applicant would need to demolish the scheduled monument of ‘Lady’s’ Bridge’. Something, which was prohibited as a protected route.

The private application received nine votes for refusal and one abstaining.