A rusted car that has lain submerged in the River Lagan near Lisburn for decades must finally be dealt with, Ulster Unionist assembly member Robbie Butler has said, as officials continue to disagree over who bears responsibility for removing it.
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI), which oversees flood risk management on the river, confirmed the vehicle has been present in the water for decades. However, it said the car is not currently considered to pose a significant impact on drainage or flood risk, and it therefore has no plans to remove it.
Butler said extracting the car could actually be counterproductive to the surrounding habitat, arguing that specialists in water-based nature and conservation should make that call rather than politicians.
He said removing the car "could be counterproductive" and that "experts in water-based nature and conservation should be the authority in making that case."
Despite his caution on the car itself, the Lagan Valley MLA said he was far more troubled by the broader state of neglect affecting the river.
"Of greater concern is the lack of native fish, the lack of leisure opportunities and the absence of long-term investment in what should be the jewel of the Lagan Valley's natural environment," he said.
Who is campaigning for the car's removal?
The Green Party has seized on the case as a symbol of wider institutional inertia. According to a report from
This article was sourced from bbc
