Comber Residents Clash with Landowner Over Unsightly Hoarding Issue
Residents in Comber are rallying against a landowner’s hoarding that detracts from the town’s beauty and pride
Comber, Northern Ireland, Hoarding, Community, Council
Comber: So, there’s this big fuss going on in Comber, Co Down. The local councillors are all banding together to tackle a private hoarding on Castle Street that everyone thinks is an eyesore.
The hoarding belongs to a landlord who doesn’t even live in the area. They’re dealing with the local council through an agent, which isn’t helping the situation.
Recently, all five councillors from Comber got together and passed a motion to look into ways to get rid of this hoarding. It’s a mix of folks from the Alliance Party, DUP, and UUP, all on the same page.
During a meeting, they celebrated Comber winning the Best Kept Medium Town Award. But they also pointed out that this old hoarding really ruins the vibe of the place.
They acknowledged that the council and the Comber Regeneration and Community Partnership have tried to fix this, but nothing has worked so far.
Councillor Patricia Morgan, who brought up the motion, made it clear that this isn’t just some backstreet. It’s a main shopping area, and locals have to see this every day, which is just not right.
She expressed how proud the people of Comber are of their town and all the hard work that goes into keeping it clean and beautiful. But having that hoarding in the background? Not cool.
Imagine being a volunteer watering flowers in front of that thing. It’s just not fair, and she’s really frustrated about it.
Morgan believes it’s the council’s job to step up and find a solution. They need to think creatively and not just accept things as they are.
DUP Alderman Trevor Cummings also chimed in, saying the hoarding looks out of place and unsafe. The local volunteers who helped win the award are even willing to pitch in for repairs.
But, of course, they need the landowner’s approval to do anything. Cummings is hopeful that if they all come together, they can get a positive outcome.
The council’s Place and Prosperity Committee director mentioned that they’ve already done a lot of work on this issue. They’ve talked to the agent multiple times and even secured funding to fix it.
But the landowner isn’t on board, which is frustrating. Morgan admitted it’s a tough problem, but they can’t just let this eyesore sit there.
She wants everyone to take this seriously because it’s really dragging down the town’s image. It’s private property, sure, but they need to think outside the box to tackle this issue.
Comber Castle Street hoardings Credit: Councillor Patricia Morgan
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