NEWCASTLE — European food giant Lidl is planning to open a new store in Newcastle next year.
The German-based retailer has confirmed it is planning to launch one of its stores in the resort as part of a multi-million pound investment package in Down District.
The company says the opening of the Newcastle store will complete its investment package n the area which is expected to top the £5m mark and create around 50 full and part-time jobs.
One new store has already opened in Ballynahinch and a second is due to open its doors for business in Downpatrick next year.
Lidl officials are currently examining the potential of a number of sites in Newcastle town centre, including the former Spar premises at Railway Street.
The former Dunnes Stores supermarket in Main Street, which closed recently, is also believed to have attracted interest, as has the former home produce store opposite the Newcastle Centre at Central Promenade.
A detailed feasibility study is expected to be prepared on the merits of the available sites before a final decision is taken on which on meet Lidl’s requirements, which include suitable parking space for customers.
BALLYNAHINCH – A senior police chief has this week issued an appeal to people in Ballynahinch to help stop rising levels of sectarian violence in the town.
The appeal by Chief Inspector Geoffrey Gamble comes after yet another weekend of trouble in the market town involving rival factions and previous appeals for calm by police and community leaders.
Mr Gamble said over the recent months police have been intervening to keep rival groups apart, moves he revealed which have left a number of officers injured, some of them seriously.
He also wanted the solution in the problems in Ballynahinch will not be found by policing alone and suggested what is required is “constructive and mature intervention from responsible people in all communities.’’
The latest trouble flared last week when there were three separate incidents on Thursday night and a further two on Saturday evening. The first incident on Thursday took place close to the town’s Windmill Street shortly before 10pm when rival groups clashed.
KILLOUGH — The first full harvest of oysters from Killough Community Association’s shellfish business will be on sale this Christmas in Paris.
Established in 1996 by the group of directors living in the village with the aim to creating a sustainable community enterprise, Lecale Shellfish will be shipping its first batch of shellfish off to France in the coming weeks.
The company is based along the Shore Road in the renovated Coastguard boathouse at Scordin, where its office, storage and purification facilities area are located.
Three years ago, a feasibility study by the aquaculture research department at Queen’s University, concluded that conditions in Killough Bay were best suited for cultivating Pacific or ‘cupped’ oysters.
After obtaining a licence from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Lecale Shellfish bought oyster seeds form a hatchery and set about raising the over the three-year period.
Lecale Shellfish manager, Martina Clarke, has been with the company for the past 12 months and believes this year’s oyster harvest represents a major landmark for the community enterprise.
RAHOLP — Planners have been urged to ensure no further obstacles are placed in the way of a plan to build a number of new bungalows at Raholp, outside Downpatrick.
The Planning Service has already approved the scheme opposite St Tassach’s Gardens, despite vociferous objections by local residents.
However, their decision to approve the plan with withdrawn at last week’s monthly meeting of Down Council, but is due to be placed back on next month’s planning schedule when they will again recommend the project is allowed to proceed.
ANNACLOY — SDLP councillor Margaret Ritchie, has welcomed news that improvement work is to be carried out on a section of road running from Annacloy to Downpatrick.
The news has been welcomed by the Rowallance area councillor, who has said she is “pleased’’ with the new that work is to be carried out on the road between King’s Bridge and the junction of the Belfast and Ballynahinch roads.
Speaking earlier this week, councillor Ritchie, said: “Following discussions and representations to the Roads Service in Downpatrick and Craigavon, I am pleased that some movement has been made on the need to improve this stretch of road.”
“This was the section of the road which was not improved following major works in the mid 1960’s, it is particularly narrow, and dangerous in parts.”
DOWNPATRICK — St Colmcille’s Primary School in Downpatrick is now celebrating 25 years of local education.
The once small school which was set up to cater for families moving to the new Model Farm and Flying Horse estates, has come a long way since it opened its doors in September 1975 with just six teachers.
Just months after the first roll was called, numbers at the school had virtually doubled and they have continued to grow in recent years with 245 pupils now enrolled.
Although the local area has experienced its own troubles over the years, St Colmcille’s has remained one of its most stable institutions.
Staff, pupils and parents are now celebrating the school’s silver anniversary with a new principal, Mr James Murphy from Ballycruttle Primary School, due to arrive this week.
Two teachers, Bernice McGrady and Joan Gilchrist, have been at St Colmcille’s since the beginning and joined the school directly from teacher training college.
Acting principal Mary Crawford, who joined St Colmcille’s just months after it opened, said these units have given depth to the facilities on offer to pupils.
PORTAFERRY — A Portaferry boy has been chosen as a overall County Down winner of the Centra Road Safety Competition.
Eleven year old Stephen Dynes was chosen as one of the county’s winners after he created the road safety slogan, “In Down while crossing the raod, be safe, follow the green cross code.”
CROSSGAR — A Crossgar community group has launched a new initiative in a bid to get local young people off the streets.
Teenagers are to be given use of their own room in the town’s War Memorial Hall as a -in centre.
The scheme is the brainchild of Crossgar War Memorial Management Committee which aired concern over the rising tide of vandalism and underage drinking in the town at their annual meeting last week.
Club 14+ will give young people a place where they can meet their friends and have some fun every Friday so they don’t have to hang around the streets at night.
KILMEGAN – In the quiet hills on the outskirts of Dundrum, Kilmegan Parish Church is soon to be celebrating a very special anniversary.
For this Sunday afternoon, the picturesque church, which derives its name from Cill Mhiagan, meaning the church of Megan, will celebrate its 200th anniversary.
The church which is connected to Maghera and St Donard’s, Dundrum, serves approximately 175 families in an area encompassing Dundrum, Castlewellan and Annsborough. In all, around 40 to 50 families attend services each week.
Although the existing church is 200 years old, there is evidence of an early Christian community in the area.
The current rector, the Rev Chris Carson, explained that the church car park is built on top of what was once a refuge.