‘Clean up Lower Captain Street’ - call to Council

A concerned resident contacted the Coleraine Times to express his dismay at the state of the derelict buildings which he says are blighting Lower Captain Street.

“Not only are these houses an eyesore for the people living near them but they are dangerous,” our reader said.

“These houses have been lying like this for the last six or seven years. They are lying wide open for anyone to enter and are surrounded by broken glass.

“It is so easy for people to gain access to the buildings to drink or use drugs or whatever.

“They have been set on fire in the past too.

“The Council is giving money to clean Portrush up for the Irish Open but these houses are not just an eyesore, they are dangerous.”

The concerned resident, who did not want to be named, also called on the Council to clean up the area before urging people to line the streets nearby to welcome the Olympic torch in June.

“The Olympic torch will be carried up the Castlerock Road and Coleraine Council is asking people to come out onto the streets to see it. Well, all they have to do is turn 180 degrees and they will see these eyesores.

“I have contacted the Council’s Environmental Health department to ask them what they can do about the situation. The houses need to be boarded up, for everyone’s safety.”

A spokesperson for Coleraine Borough Council said: “The current project of work ongoing at this time in Portrush/Portstewart is grant aided work funded by the Department of the Environment and not funded by Coleraine Borough Council. This funding was specifically allocated for improvements in the Portrush and Portstewart areas.”