Cllr Patrick Clarke said: “It was great to host the Alliance Council in Newcastle on Saturday. There was a great turnout and everybody enjoyed the day in one of the most scenic locations in Northern Ireland.
“I had the chance to highlight to Alliance Council the importance of tourism to the South Down economy and how we should be doing all that is possible to protect our valuable assets such as the beautiful countryside and local heritage. We need to do more to attract tourists to this part of Northern Ireland. While areas such as the Giant’s Causeway and Belfast are often featured in national tourism campaigns, I hope to see Newcastle included in future promotions.”
Alliance Leader David Ford MLA said: “The meeting in Newcastle was another chance to show that Alliance is gaining more support in areas such as South Down which saw the election of Councillor Patrick Clarke in Newcastle.
“It is important for our ruling Council to be hosted in different parts of Northern Ireland for us to get a feel for the issues affecting people right across the country.
“By deciding to have our Council meeting in Newcastle I hope this shows Alliance commitment to areas such as this and our wish to increase our support here.”
ENDS