Looking back... Call for clean-up at award winning estate in Ballyclare

Cllr Jim Wilson said that ongoing clean-up and repair work in the area was not taking place.

The estate won an award for its design when it was built.

Concerned about the poor maintenance and general untidiness of the estate, Cllr Wilson was calling for a major clean-up effort, with the Housing Executive and the council liaising to improve the footpath and courtyard areas.

Among the councillor’s complaints were a widespread litter problem, graffiti on walls and garage doors, dumping in alleyways and on nearby waste land, flooding caused by blocked gulleys, the hazardous situation of electric cabling dangling from rooftops over bedroom windows, rotted window frames in most of the flats and houses and a general lack of maintenance inside the homes.

An Executive spokeswoman said: “The Housing Executive does accept that work is needed in Erskine and for this reason we have planned an improvement scheme. The Executive can only appeal to people to stop dumping as it spoils the environment for everybody.”