Other News In Brief

Resurfacing Work To Start In Portadown

A £115,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme on the A50 Gilford Road, Portadown is due to start on Monday, 31 July.

Work on the 600-metre scheme, extending from Princess Way to the national speed limit signs past the Breagh Road, will deliver significant improvements to the structural integrity and the road surface quality of the Gilford Road. Work is expected to be complete by 18 August.

Local access will be maintained throughout the duration of the works. Banbridge bound traffic will be diverted via Gilford Road, Killicomaine Road, Old Lurgan Road and Drumnacanvey Road. Portadown bound traffic will be diverted via Mullahead Road, Brackagh Road, Tandragee Road, Mahon Road, Armagh Road, Church Street, Market Street, High Street, Castle Street, Bridge Street and Carrickblacker Road.

NIHE Accused Of Being Complicit In Breaching Environmental Regulations

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has been accused of being complicit in facilitating breaches of environmental regulations in relation to a "rogue" bonfire site at the Dublin road estate in Antrim.

Sinn Féin's South Antrim MLA, Declan Kearney and Party colleagues met with senior officials at the NIHE following the agency's failure to meet its statutory obligations.

Mr Kearney said: "Party colleagues and I met with Colm McQuillan, Housing Executive Director and other senior officers in the Housing Executive's Belfast headquarters on Friday. During the meeting, we made direct and frank representations about the failure of the Housing Executive to deal with the serious risks posed to the local community by the rogue bonfire at Dublin Road.

"I made it clear to the Housing Executive representatives present that we considered the Housing Executive has been complicit in facilitating breaches of environmental regulations, and violations of local residents' rights associated with the Dublin Road rogue bonfire. I also said that the decision to renege on its agreement to remove tyres and other materials from the site constitutes a corporate capitulation to environmental vandals."

Queen's EU Funding Welcomed

SDLP South Belfast MLA Claire Hanna has welcomed EU funding of £8 million for QUB to advance renewable energy research. Ms Hanna said that research and innovation funding from the European institutions is critical to sustaining higher education.

She said: "The award of £8m of Interreg funding to QUB for this critical research underscores our place at the cutting edge of renewable energy development.

"Whether it's geothermal technology across Antrim or harnessing wind and wave power off the south Down coast, we have the opportunity to be a world leader in renewable tech.

"The steady stream of European funding that our higher education institutions have been able to attract is a testament to the broad skills pool and the leadership within our universities."

(CD/LM)