Belfast City Council is looking into a long term investment plan for parks in the city, to match the leisure programme investment in recent years.
Elected members at the council’s People and Communities Committee this week agreed that a report on capital investment in parks and open spaces be brought forward for consideration. It will include options on how any potential projects and schemes could be funded and prioritised.
The report comes amid complaints of neglect of the council’s open spaces throughout the city. In particular North Belfast has been singled out by local businesses and politicians as feeling the neglect most acutely, with parks such as the Waterworks being perceived to be “left behind” and “unloved.”
Read more: North Belfast is 'unloved' and being 'left behind' by Council, locals claim
The agreed council motion states: “This council recognises the importance of parks, public and open spaces across the city. We understand that during the pandemic, more and more people in our city realised the inherent value of these spaces.
“We support and recognise the council’s ongoing work in developing our parks, public and open spaces but believe we need a step change in investment in these spaces.
"This council has also passed a number of motions related to improving our parks and open spaces, including access to bins, late night opening, lighting schemes and also other motions supported by this council on rewilding, enhancing urban biodiversity, sport development, youth diversion, health and wellbeing and employment opportunities.
“To build on these motions and other bodies of work, the council will commit to a long term investment in our parks, public and open spaces. This will replicate the capital investment programme undertaken in the transformation of leisure services and commits to sourcing funding and investment opportunities to achieve this.”
Green Party Councillor Mal O’Hara, who forwarded the original motion, said: “I think over the last decade, the council's investment in leisure services, despite the embedded carbon, is a very positive thing. Maybe the shape of how we did it could have been slightly different.
“But we need to look at a similar ambitious programme in our parks, public spaces and open spaces. All members will be aware that the Belfast Open Spaces Strategy has no financial or capital resource attached to it.
“This is about us saying as a council we want to invest in our parks, public spaces, and open spaces, strategically, sustainably and over the long term across the city.”
He added: “To be slightly parochial about North Belfast - I look at the Waterworks, and I do believe if it was in a different part of the city it would look very different. There are no toilets, there is no café, a lot of bare ground there is not very useful, and could be better utilised.
“I know we are investing in Ballysillan Park, but that’s because it falls into the Urban Villages area. That is not the type of strategic investment we should have as a council.”
The motion received unanimous cross party support, and is expected to be ratified at the next full council meeting on September 1.
READ NEXT:
-
Further proposed demolition on Belfast's 'Millionaires Row' causing concern for locals
-
Belfast Bright Lights festival cancelled after public outcry
-
Clifton Street Irish street sign saga comes to conclusion with council approval
- Belfast Council warned of "crisis of confidence" in cleansing services as city labelled "dirty"
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
