“I note the recent statement by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins welcoming the award of new road resurfacing contracts as part of a £240 million framework over four years. While I welcome any investment in Northern Ireland’s road network and the support for local companies, I must express my deep concern and disappointment at the continued disparity in funding allocations—particularly the neglect of Ards and North Down.
It is frankly unacceptable that areas such as Mid Ulster, having already received £21 million in previous allocations, are again prioritised for further investment, while North Down has been left languishing at the bottom of the list with just £3 million. If Mid Ulster’s roads have already benefited from such significant funding, one would assume their network is in excellent condition. Meanwhile, the roads in Ards and North Down are crumbling, riddled with potholes, and posing risks to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.
I have consistently raised this issue with the Department for Infrastructure and will continue to press the Minister on why Ards and North Down are persistently overlooked when it comes to vital infrastructure investment. We deserve our fair share—nothing more, nothing less.
The people of North Down pay their taxes like everyone else. They are entitled to safe, well-maintained roads and to see their area treated equitably. I call on Minister Kimmins to urgently review the criteria for the allocation of these resurfacing contracts and ensure that future funding is distributed on the basis of actual need, not politics.
Our community should not have to beg for the basic infrastructure that others seem to receive without question.”
Alex Easton MP
Member of Parliament for North Down
