The County Antrim village of Aghalee has seen a series of upgrades delivered across its leisure and recreational facilities.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) completed the works as part of phase one of the Village Improvement Scheme.

This phase of work focused on improving the current leisure and recreational facilities in the village to create a shared space for the whole community. These improvements include a new looped pathway around the football pitch to appeal to avid walkers in the village and the installation of railings around the football pitch and play park. Outdoor gym equipment for people of all abilities has also been introduced at the entrance of the park.

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The scheme is being delivered by LCCC and under Priority 6 (LEADER) of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the European Union.

Alderman Allan Ewart MBE, Chair of the council's Development Committee and Chair of Lagan Rural Partnership Local Action Group, said: "I'm delighted to see phase one of the works completed. The improvements look excellent and have really helped towards making Aghalee a more inclusive area for residents and visitors. I look forward to seeing plans for phase two coming to fruition and for the transformation of the Aghalee area to be complete."

Plans for phase two of the scheme are nearing completion and will deliver an improved look and feel across the heart of the entire village. They include introducing traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps, and the resurfacing of footpaths however, consultations with statutory bodies for this phase are ongoing.

Construction on phase two is expected to start in 2020.

(CM/JG)