Meetings are to be arranged to discuss ways to improve facilities for disabled rowers and boat users who are struggling with access at the jetty on the River Bann in Portadown.
The issue was raised by Alliance Councillor Peter Lavery, who said the jetty was well used by Portadown Boat Club and many others groups.
But he said: “An issue with it is that it lacks disabled access, which means that disabled rowers are in a very difficult situation, and they have to access the jetty in a very unedifying position.”
Councillor Lavery, speaking at April’s monthly ABC Council meeting, paid tribute to a council officer and Portadown Boat Club members for “coming up with potential ideas”.
He added: “I request that a meeting occurs with officers, relevant landowners, clubs, different user groups, as well as potential funders and elected representatives, to see how the situation can be improved, with an appropriate options report being brought back to the relevant committee in due course.
“This is a great facility to have. It’s an issue in terms of inclusivity and, if we’re able to get the facility to a position where it’s as inclusive as possible and get many people of different abilities to able to use the River Bann, which is a great asset for the borough, the better.”
Sinn Fein Councillor Catherine Nelson seconded the proposal and raised a separate issue in Craigavon.
“I have had contact about the Civic Centre boat launch and the council erecting steel poles preventing people from launching boats onto the public slipway,” she said. “I don’t know why we’re doing it or what the story behind that is, but if someone could come back to me I’d really appreciate it.”
DUP Councillor Lavelle McIlwrath also agreed that access needed to be looked at.
“It’s not so long ago that we got wheelchair access for the fishing stands and that was carried out to a number of the stands just nearby,” he said. “So I absolutely support getting a meeting together.”
He also highlighted access issues in another area of the River Bann, at Shillingtons Quay, which were identified during the search and rescue operation for local man Andrew Robinson, asking that this too could be raised.
DUP Councillor Kyle Savage was fully supportive.
“I’ve seen it first-hand in Portadown at the regatta, a disabled person having to make their way down the steps, and it’s not on in this day and age,” he said. “But this has been raised with officers on many, many occasions over the years. I hope now we can finally get to a conclusion and get this sorted out once and for all. In this day and age we should not have this.”
Jonathan Hayes, director of environmental services and sustainability, said a meeting could be raised “with the appropriate authorities”.
And he added: “Over the last number of years, council has been quite successful in the access and inclusion funding through from the Department, which would have funded a number of these projects, including this particular project. But, as you know, the Department have ceased that funding over the last year or so.
“We await with interest to see whether or not that access and inclusion funding will reopen again. Should it reopen again, then certainly this is a project that would sit very neatly within that, but certainly in the meantime we’re happy to take points and comments on board and arrange those meetings as required.”
