New cycle and walkway welcomed at Maze

The Halftown Residents Association described the improvement works as both a ‘welcome relief to an ongoing Health and Safety issue for residents’ and also a ‘great addition’ for the local community.

A spokesman for the Association said: “The project has provided a beautiful, safe path for residents, dog walkers and cyclists as well as associated lighting. We also have now got two new state-of-the-art bus shelters which lift the quality of the area.

“We are grateful to the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation for delivering this quality of scheme and look forward to working with them in the future.”

As part of the improvement works Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation also provided a new bus turning circle to facilitate an extension of Translink’s 325G bus service to run hourly through the Halftown village area, providing greater connectivity to both Hillsborough and Lisburn. The work entailed the removal of a number of dangerous and diseased trees. An obsolete kerb-side bus shelter was also replaced.

Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation Chairman, Terence Brannigan said: “The works, which cost around £300,000, were necessary to address a number of longstanding Health and Safety concerns which have been voiced by local residents over the last number of years and Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation is delighted to have worked with the Halftown Community in particular to improve safety within the locality.

“As a major local landowner we are conscious of our responsibilities for the well-being of our neighbours. In the past year alone more than 130,000 people have visited our 347 acre site to attend various large scale events. Given the resultant increase in vehicular movements in the Halftown area it was important to ensure the local residents had an adequate footpath for clear health and safety reasons.”