Councillor Long added it was disappointing the DUP did not turn up for the meeting, particularly given the party’s support for a Leave vote in the EU referendum.
“It is incredibly disappointing the Minister has announced this project is now on hold, given it would have helped reduce congestion massively in that area. It certainly calls into question Sinn Fein’s commitment to developing Belfast, as the Minister was able to commit money to developing upgrade projects elsewhere.
“I also call on the DUP to make their thoughts clear on this issue – the party supported a Leave vote in the EU referendum, which has now been blamed as the reason for the shelving of the York Street project. This was topped off by the DUP’s non-appearance at today’s meeting, in which it was discussed.
“From these recent actions, it should be asked if the DUP and Sinn Fein are ignoring Belfast in terms of the vital infrastructure the city needs. This is one of the busiest junctions in Northern Ireland, so it is baffling these two parties show little concern over resolving the issue.”