Complaints about park rally damage

A particular bone of contention has been the state in which the park’s surfaces were left following the event.

One regular park user contacted us to say: “It breaks my heart to see the state in which the park is left, and for what benefit to the town.

“Large crowds come in but they do not go anywhere near the town centre.”

He went on: “Lurgan Park is the jewel in Lurgan’s crown so why do we let rally cars ride roughshod over it?”

One regular dog walker said she was digusted at the state of the park and pointed to damage to a low stone bridge close to the Demense Avenue gate.

She said: “The damage to the bridge has been cordoned off but is it something Lurgan park really needs - especially since the council is shelling out thousands of pounds to the orgaisners just so they can have the privelege of wrecking our park?

“The cars have also cut up a number of the grass areas in the park and it really saddens me.

“Why do we let this happen every year. For one day’s racing we face three or four days of disruption to life in the park,”

A spokesperson for Craigavon Borough Council confirmed the bridge close to the Demense Avenue gate had been damaged but rally orgasnisers were working to repair it.

She said the organsiers had been working since Saturday to reinstate all damage to the park - that work was due to be completed by Tuesday evening.