Half million pound investment for new pathway at Black Mountain will ‘improve health inequalities’

The decision by the council will help fund the first phase of a project that will bring over £550,000 investment into creating a pathway at the foot of the Mountain

A councillor has said a half million pound investment for a new pathway at Black Mountain in the Belfast Hills will “improve health inequalities” in adjacent West and North Belfast communities.

At the most recent meeting of the full Belfast City Council, Sinn Féin Councillor Micheal Donnelly welcomed a funding commitment from City Hall to open up Black Mountain with a new trail, a project six years in the making.

The decision by the council will help fund the first phase of a project that will bring over £550,000 investment into creating a pathway at the foot of the Mountain, creating a one kilometre loop which will give access from Dermott Hill across the back of New Barnsley and Moyard to Ballygomartin Road.

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Councillors at City Hall’s important Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed to move the project to “Stage 3 – Committed.” Officials reported to the committee this would mean “necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate ‘framework’ arrangements) will be initiated with a contract to be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenders received.” It means the council will have “full commitment to deliver” the project.

Councillor Donnelly, representative for the Black Mountain District Electoral Area, told the chamber during the July meeting of the full council: “I want to welcome the decision around the Black Mountain Pathway project, moving to Stage Three Committed.

“This will be great local delivery for the Upper Springfield area, for the residents living in the greater Ballymurphy and Turf Lodge areas. It will improve health inequality there, including mental health and wellbeing (by) getting access to green open spaces.”

He said: “This is a project we have been working on for six years. It started off with a small amount of money from locality planning funding from Belfast City Council. It shows what you can do over a period of time, with sheer grit and determination. That (original) £15,000 is going to be turned into half a million pounds in investment. So I want to thank our (council) Physical Programming team.”

He said: “It would be wrong of me to talk about the Hills Project, and not mention the late Terry Enright Senior, who was an enthusiastic environmentalist and community leader in that area. One of his legacies was the Saffron Project, which aimed to see the hills unlocked, to protect the ancient raths, and tell the history of our hills.

“Now that is going to happen. This is great work being done by Belfast City Council, and it is just the start of it in terms of opening the hills, not only in the Whiterock area, but in Ligoneil, Glencairn, and across the city. I just want to put my thanks on record.”

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