“Consultation feedback confirmed community preference for the existing operational hours”
Belfast City Council will trial a 24 hour opening for the Forth Meadow Community Greenway, despite a mixed response from a public consultation.
At a Belfast Council committee meeting this week, Sinn Féin successfully proposed a 24 hour opening trial along the entire path of the new greenway, which travels through North and West Belfast into the City Centre.
At the People and Communities Committee meeting at City Hall, the proposal by Councillor Micheal Donnelly had to go to a vote, with only the DUP in opposition to 24 hour opening across the whole stretch of greenway. The gates along the greenway currently follow a dawn to dusk schedule for opening.
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DUP Councillor Nicola Verner said at the meeting: “I feel differently. I think we need to take on board the feeling of residents that live beside (the greenway). Although there is only marginal favour to keep the dawn to dusk opening, we should not proceed.
“It is important we listen to residents, and maybe do a bit of work with them first, to make them feel the greenway is not something that will attract ongoing antisocial behaviour, dog fouling (etc). We need to get to grips with those issues first, and then revisit them.”
A poll on the Sinn Féin proposal saw 14 votes in favour from Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SDLP, the Greens, and People Before Profit, while five DUP representatives voted against the proposal.
Council officers ran an open survey on the council’s Your Say platform in January and February this year and held three drop-in sessions in late January at Highfield Community Centre, Springfield Park and Falls Park Bowling Pavilion. The aim of the consultation was to capture residents’ views on 24 hour/7 days a week opening of 14 gates across the greenway that connect on to its main lit spine, as well as any other suggestions relating to the opening hours of individual gates.
The council said two of the three drop-in sessions were well attended, while the online survey attracted 156 responses.
The council committee report on the findings states: “Consultation feedback confirmed community preference for the existing operational hours pattern to be retained for all sections, with the exception of Glencairn Park to Forthriver Linear Park Section (Forthriver Crescent and Forthriver Road gate), where views on 24/7 opening were mixed. The overwhelming reason given by respondents for not supporting 24/7 opening was anti-social behaviour and safety concerns.”
Regarding section one of the greenway, Glencairn Park to Forthriver Linear Park, the overall picture showed respondents were not opposed to both pedestrian gates remaining open 24/7. Over 56 percent were in favour or undecided for each gate – however out of those recorded as living in close proximity to this section, that is five minutes’ walk or less away, half (50 percent) were against Forthmeadow Crescent gate remaining open 24/7.
Regarding section two of the greenway, Ballygomartin Road to Springfield Road, the overall picture showed respondents, and those living in close proximity to the section, were marginally against the two pedestrian gates consulted upon in this part of the greenway remaining open 24/7. That equated to 48 percent of respondents overall and 56 percent of those living a five minute walk away from the section were against 24/7.
Section three includes Springfield Park (Dam) to Falls Park. Respondents overall, including those living in close proximity to Springfield Dam, were against the three pedestrian gates and one vehicular gate within the site remaining open 24/7. Respondents overall, including those specifically living in close proximity to Falls Park, were against the two pedestrian and one vehicular gate consulted on within the Falls Park site remaining open 24/7.
Regarding section four of the greenway, Bog Meadows Nature Reserve, the overall picture showed respondents, including those living in close proximity to the section, were against the two pedestrian gates and one vehicular gate in this section remaining open 24/7. The figures were 59 percent against. However the 31 residents recorded as living in close proximity to this section, that is five minutes’ walk or less away – were marginally in favour or undecided (52 percent) about the Donegall Road Broadway pedestrian gate remaining open 24/7.
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