Residents in NI street take ownership of eyesore and give it a makeover

The idea to transform the littered alleyway at Knockbreda Road and Rosetta park came about during lockdown.

Residents removed bottles and cans and cut back the overgrown weeds in the alleyway which had given rise to antisocial behaviour.

Pauline O’Hare, a solicitor who lives in the area, said: “In the past few years there have been several break-ins in the area including one with ourselves.

“We also have some elderly residents who are fearful of crime as well as antisocial behaviour with drink, drugs and general littering.”

Residents followed the lead of other parts of the city where people have taken ownership of eyesores and transformed them, most notably Wildflower Alley in the Holylands as well as Rossmore and Ardmore Avenue on the upper Ormeau Road.

At Rosetta, residents hope to encourage Belfast City Council to install alleygates to help reduce antisocial behaviour, burglaries and fear of crime.

SDLP’s Seamas De Faoite and Gary McKeown helped organise and take part in the clean-up and welcome the proposal for new gates in the area.

Councillor de Faoite said: “Residents have decided that change can’t wait for gates in this area.

“They’re staking out this alley as a community space that can be used and enjoyed by all the residents.

“Belfast City Council and other statutory agencies should be working to reward local communities who are pro-actively changing their area for the better.

“Alleygates would make this positive change permanent.”

Residents are looking forward to repurposing the space and filling the alleyway with sleepers, wildflowers and benches for communal use.

The introduction of alleygates is the final step in the process to make this happen.