'This will only benefit one side of the community': Anger as unionist area cut off from £1m Belfast 'shared space' by Westlink
A park costing almost £1m is to get a green light from planners this week, despite residents arguing that the so-called ‘shared space’ will only benefit one side of the community.
To be built next to a housing estate in a heavily nationalist area off Grosvenor Road in Belfast, the project will transform an unused patch of land by building new landscaping and recreation areas including benches and a rain garden.
Architects employed by the city council describe it as “a transformative regeneration project that will create a vibrant, inclusive and environmentally resilient public space in West Belfast” while insisting it will be a cross-community “neutral shared space”.
But the nearest unionist district, the Sandy Row and lower Broadway area, is separated from the site by both the busy Westlink dual carriageway and train tracks leading to Grand Central Station – and one residents group has complained there’s little chance of both communities sharing the park.
Blackstaff Residents Association go as far as to call the project’s cross-community label a ‘false claim’ and a ‘direct breach of the terms on which public money was granted’.
Lodging the group’s objection to the project, William Dickson from the association states: “There is no evidence of meaningful partnership, shared design, inclusive governance, or equal benefit across different communities.
“It is cross‑community in name only, with no genuine inclusion or shared benefit built into the plan.
“Even if planners argue this is not a material planning matter, this is still a fundamental issue of public accountability, honesty, compliance with funding rules, and proper use of taxpayers’ money.
“Planning permission should never be granted to a scheme that misrepresents its purpose or fails to meet the conditions attached to its funding. This is a matter of clear public interest.”
Stating the project is to get £953,000 from Peaceplus, a post-Troubles fund designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland, Mr Dickson argued the park “does not serve the wider community [and] is not designed for shared use or benefit”.
Mr Dickson went on to accuse the council of “double standards”, stating there are “no dedicated community facilities at all” in the unionist Blackstaff area, while the nationalist Grosvenor part of the city is home to “outdoor pitches, social spaces and fully equipped community centres”.
A total of 48 formal objections have been made to the park, including the one from Blackstaff Residents Association; by contrast, just five letters of support came in.
In a report seen by the News Letter, however, council planners dismiss arguments against the project.
Although planners admit that “accessibility to the area from both communities has not increased”, they blame a public consultation for that – stating residents asked for a gate that could have opened the site up to be erased from the project.
The scheme complies with shared space policies, they maintain, by “improving accessibility with improved paths” as well as “enhanced public realm and lighting to improve safety”.
Funding “is not a material planning consideration”, they add, and any conditions that come with the cash are “a civil matter” that won’t be factored into their verdict.
Planners are to recommend that councillors give a green light to the park during a committee meeting on Tuesday night.