Other News In Brief

Council Closes Clement Wilson Bridge

Belfast City Council has had to close the Clement Wilson Bridge at New Forge Lane following a report which indicated that its condition has worsened.

Walkers and cyclists will no longer be able to use the bridge to travel between Belfast and Lisburn.

Fencing has been erected to prevent the public accessing the bridge.

Belfast City Council had already planned to replace the bridge, which has been in existence for more than 50 years, as part of the city's £150m Investment Programme.

It has applied for planning permission and will be writing to local residents to inform them of its proposals.

Ban Naming Of Public Property After Convicted Terrorists - UUP

Ulster Unionist Justice Spokesperson, Tom Elliott MLA, has initiated the process of bringing a Private Members Bill to the Assembly to ban the naming of publicly funded property after convicted terrorists.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: "This is a Bill to make provision for the banning of naming publicly funded property after convicted terrorists. My decision to pursue this comes in light of a number of recent unacceptable actions, including the renaming of a Play Park in Newry’s Patrick Street as the Raymond McCreesh Park, which has resulted in nothing further than a glorification of criminal activity and a deterioration in community relations.

"We need to create a more appropriate legal framework to ensure that this cannot be allowed to continue. The concerns of many victims as well as the wider community are clear and the current protests which are on-going across Northern Ireland are an indication of the strength of feeling from some quarters on issues such as this.’

"I believe the proposals I will be bringing forward would have the effect of improving community relations as well as increasing the sensitivity which is shown to victims and survivors of terrorism who are too often neglected."

(CD)