Cost of alleygate replacement keys in Belfast questioned after reports of residents breaking locks

Councillor questions whether the council is paying for the keys which come from Germany

The cost of £25 to replace a residential alleygate key in Belfast has been questioned, after a councillor said gate locks have been broken by residents “who simply can’t afford it.”

At the September meeting of the People and Communities Committee at Belfast City Council, Sinn Féin Councillor Claire Canavan successfully asked for a review of the replacement key charges.

She told the chamber this week: “We as a committee should look at the costs to get a key for an alleygate. If residents lose their key there is a cost of £25.

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“There are a lot of alleygates being put in areas considered as antisocial behaviour hotspots, and unfortunately a lot of these areas are socially deprived areas. I just think the cost of replacing a key needs to be looked at. I am hearing that some just can’t afford it.

“As a result they can’t unlock the gate to leave their bins in and out. It is affecting a lot of residents.”

She said: “As far as I am aware, we are getting the keys from Germany. But I would like some information as to exactly how much it costs the council for these keys. I don’t think it would be £25 per key.

“We should get a report back on the options open to us, so we can make an informed decision in relation to the pricing. As part of that report we should look at the process that residents have to follow to get a key.

“I know there are instances where residents find it difficult to get down to the Cecil Ward building, so (we should look at) another way of doing things, whether that could involve outreach teams who could deliver the keys. I don’t think it is something that would happen very regularly.

“This is really to make it as easy as possible for residents to avail of those keys. I have heard anecdotal evidence of those who are being forced to break the lock of a gate. Then there are obviously the costs to council to fix that lock.”

Elected members agreed to commission a report into the matter.

Last month council officers said a delay in putting alleygates up in the North of the city had arisen due to a cash shortage because of rising costs from outside contractors.

At the August meeting of the People and Communities Committee, officials revealed that the council had 115 alleygates in its possession but was short of the £60,000 required to install the gates. An officer failed to give details of the exact costings, but said they would be writing to Stormont for financial help to get the gates in place.

The matter was raised when DUP Councillor for Oldpark Jordan Doran appeared at the committee to speak for “constituents who are growing increasingly frustrated at the length of time it is taking to install alleygates at various entries, particularly in light of rising antisocial behaviour in some areas during the summer months.”

The alleygates in question are part of the Alleygates Project Phase 5a. 53 gates are going up in this phase – initial work began February 10, and was expected to be completed by the Spring.

The alleygating scheme, which secures residential alleys across the city, has been a success overall, and promises to be an ongoing project well into the future, with a long waiting lists of communities wanting the gates. The erection of the agreed gates has seen some delays over the years.

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