Black hits back at McDonnell's 'English country garden' remark

She was responding to comments from Independent councillor Randal McDonnell who said the money would be better being spent on something else and that if crime is being committed at the seafront, police should deal with it.

For some time efforts have been taking place in a bid to stop anti-social driving in that area of the town and at the request of Moyle Council a meeting was arranged on Tuesday March 9 to discuss options for improvements at Ballycastle Harbour Car Park.

The preferred option from the meeting involves spending 35,000 on overhead barriers, ramps, picnic tables and raised flowerbeds.

The flowerbeds will be positioned in a way to make rallying or 'doughnutting' of cars difficult.

Cllr Oliver McMullan (SDLP) said the scheme will be a "step forward" but said there were problems in the past with raised flowerbeds at Ann Street Car Park in Ballycastle and Cushendall.

Council Vice-Chairperson, Cllr Robert McIlroy (DUP), said the work at the Ballycastle seafront is long overdue but Cllr McDonnell said the money should be spent on "something useful" and he said work carried out at Mill Street Car Park in Cushendall "ruined it".

Commenting on the Ballycastle situation he said: "We don't need raised flowerbeds, this is a carpark, not an English country garden".

But Cllr Black said the issues at the harbour have caused concern and residents, PSNI and councillors and others have been working to resolve them.

She added: "This is an issue that has been going on for about five years. This is a start, it mightn't work but we have to start somewhere.

"It was a very positive meeting, everybody wants this to happen."

She said she was "110 per cent" behind the scheme and said people are "sick to death" of the anti-social behaviour in the area.

Cllr McDonnell said it was a car park and a road for use by cars and if people are misbehaving it was up to the police to prosecute them.

He said he was against the rights of the public being "trampled over for the sake of a few householders".