No Proposals for any infrastructure at the Maze
28 June 2012
No Proposals for any infrastructure at the Maze
After all the hype about Balmoral Show moving to the Maze site in less than a year and the building of a 'Conflict Tranformation Centre' there, TUV Leader Jim Allister has drawn attention to an answer from the DRD Minister confirming that his department does not have a single proposal before if for any infrastructure provision at the Maze. This includes road access, from the M1 or elsewhere.
Mr Allister had asked:
The Minister for Regional Development what budgetary commitment exists to construct access from the M1 motorway to the Maze site.
The Answer received is as follows:
I can advise the Member that my Department currently has no budgetary commitment to construct an access road from the M1 motorway to the Maze site. I understand that this proposal is linked to the development of the Maze site and may be delivered and funded by the new Development Corporation being established by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).
Officials in my Department’s Roads Service have been involved in early advisory meetings with OFMDFM and DFP officials. At this stage, Roads Service has not received any firm proposals in relation to any infrastructure for the Maze site.
Roads Service, as a consultee to DOE Planning, is required to consider the design of any infrastructure that is to be formally adopted by it.
Commenting Jim Allister said, "With all this resting with dysfunctional OFMDFM, no one should expect progress any time soon. The snails pace at which OFMDFM operates compares only to the snails pace at which traffic will move to the new Show site along the existing substandard roads servicing the site.
"It is so typical of OFMDFM that it talks grandly about headline-grabbing projects but doesn't get round to dealing with the fundamentals essential to their delivery. Am I surprised, no, because OFMDFM only does glitz, not graft. With no money in the Budget for a motorway link, it seems to me that a viable Balmoral Show site at the Maze remains a long way off."
