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Personal Campaigns... |
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| Railways |
I have been, and will continue to
be, a vocal supporter of the railway system in Northern Ireland. I am a fierce
opponent of any closures of any rail line and believe that investment into the
system should be increased and the rail network expanded. I believe that for a
vibrant economy to grow in our country it is essential to offer modern
affordable and accessible public transport.
There are a huge number of
benefits to be gleaned from investing in Northern Ireland's rail system and
bringing it up to the standard of the rest of the developed
world.
Environmentally speaking rail is much friendlier than travel by
car. Given the push towards environmentalism that is taking place, investment
in the rail network should be encouraged.
In terms of safety rail travel
again comes out in front. The number of deaths on our roads increases
annually.
The railways provides a link to the north for both tourists
and residents, closure of the railway would increase the perception of
isolation in the north and cause great harm to local businesses in Coleraine,
Portrush, Londonderry and all the areas in-between that the rail network
serves. For example, the potential loss of visitors to Portrush during the
summer due to line closure, would adversely affect businesses in the area, many
of who rely on visitors. Money should be spent on promoting these beautiful
areas to tourists; indeed the railway itself could be promoted as a tourist
attraction.
To sum up, I believe that with careful management and a bit
of vision, Northern Ireland could have a much improved rail network that
everyone could feel proud of and be keen to use. I believe it is what the
people of Northern Ireland want and it is time that they were
heard.
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| Tourism |
Northern Ireland, and in
particular the North Coast, is a spectacular land with beautiful scenery and
welcoming people. I believe that we should embrace this natural resource and
encourage visitors to come to visit not only the "honey pot" areas such as the
Giants Causeway, but also the undiscovered regions.
In the past visitors
tended to concentrate on the Republic and were only allowed on "day-release" to
Northern Ireland. Typically tourists will leave the Republic of Ireland in the
morning, conduct a whistle-stop tour of Ulster and be back in Dublin that
evening. This is largely due to the lack of a coherent strategy for tourism in
Northern Ireland. As a Director and Vice-Chairman of the Causeway Coast and
Glens Ltd (the regional tourist body) I work to develop a single unifying
strategy with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
Scenery such as the
Roe Valley and the Glens are stunning sights to behold, while towns like
Limavady, Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart provide visitors with the
opportunity to spend some money, and that can only be good for local
business.
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| Anti-Windfarm |
As Chairman of the Coleraine
Borough Council Anti-Windfarm Committee I have energetically opposed plans by
the B9 Energy Group to locate a windfarm on the Tunes Plateau off the Causeway
Coast.
Northern Ireland and particularly the North Coast is an area of
outstanding natural beauty and while I understand the need for renewable energy
I do not believe this should be done at all costs.
Tourism in Northern
Ireland is a subject close to my heart and I think that having this "blot on
the landscape" would have a particularly damaging
effect.
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