Community activist calls Minister John O'Dowd to stop demolition of Boyne Bridge in Belfast as action breaches planning conditions from his own department

The Boyne Bridge – an integral part of the Sandy Row community in south Belfast – is currently being demolished to make way for traffic going to the new Translink Grand Central Station.

Sandy Row residents have fought a long campaign to save the bridge which they see as integral to their local heritage.

But the ongoing demolition has cut the main arterial route through the community – and seen traffic jams lasting hours at a time.

On Monday night a series of business owners gave testimony at Belfast City Council that the congestion had all but halted through traffic and was threatening to destroy their businesses.

In Wednesday's News Letter the Department for Infrastructure declined to tacitly acknowledged a claim from John Anderson of the Ulster Architectural Heritage charity that it was in breach of Section 8 of Planning Application LA04/2017/1388/F by demolishing the bridge before it had rolled out a traffic management plan for the area.

As a result, a community activist has now called on the minister to halt the destruction of the bridge.

Billy Dickson BEM, Chairman of the Blackstaff Residents' Association said in an open letter: "We call upon the Minister for Infrastructure, John O'Dowd to comply with planning laws without fear or favour and call for a stop to the demolition of the Boyne Bridge, as the Department For Infrastructure (DFI) has admitted that it is in breach of planning conditions by starting to demolish the Boyne Bridge without traffic mitigation plans for Sandy Row.

"Work should stop on the bridge and then take the following steps: (1) Review the damage. (2) Carry out temporary repairs so that the bridge can be reopened. (3) If necessary, call in army engineers. (4) Set up a working group to look at all possible options.

"The above 4 steps can be achieved as the main structure of the bridge is still intact. The Minister and the Department of Infrastructure are not above the Law. He must act now to retain any credibility."

DFI was invited to respond.