Concerns over Maze roads

TUV Lagan Valley press officer Samuel Morrison said: “Last week Lagan Valley TUV members began collecting signatures for the petition opposing the building of a so-called ‘Conflict Transformation Centre’ to be built right up beside the buildings which imprisoned those who caused the conflict in the first place.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive with hundreds of people already having signed. There can be no doubt that there is huge opposition to the DUP/Sinn Fein plans for the site in Lagan Valley.

“An additional issue of concern which has come up on the doors has been road access to the Maze from the M1 and elsewhere.

“In June of last year TUV leader Jim Allister raised the issue of poor access to the Maze site with the Department of Regional Development.

“Now, a matter of days from the Balmoral Show, residents of the area are concerned that not enough has been done to provide the infrastructure to bring the roads network up to the standard needed to accommodate the heavy flow of traffic to the site when it hosts the show. I am aware that there will be public transport to the show via a shuttle bus service to and from Lisburn train station and that advanced directional signage is to be erected on all main routes for the duration of the Balmoral Show but it is disappointing that there has been no investment in the road infrastructure.

“It is my hope that the show will be a huge success and that fears about traffic disruption will prove to be misplaced but there is a genuine concern that the increased volume of traffic will cause undue disruption to the lives of those who live in the immediate vicinity.”