A DUP local politician has said a newly approved stretch of greenway in Newtownards could provide a “path” for antisocial behaviour at the Somme Heritage Centre.
Alderman Stephen McIlveen also criticised Ards and North Down Council officers as being “dismissive” of concerns from local residents about the plan to make three kilometres of new greenway between the north of the town out to the Somme Heritage Centre. The planning applicant was Ards and North Down Council, and the council’s officers proposed the plan be recommended to elected members.
The plan, which was approved at the Planning Committee by all elected representatives apart from Alderman McIlveen, is part of the £12.5 million Greenways Network Project, which will see 57 kilometres of greenway restored or created to make an interconnected green path throughout the borough. Ultimately the new greenway is planned to connect to Belfast, to link with a Stormont initiative aiming to create a new coastal greenway from Holywood into the city.
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The Newtownards greenway will go from Belvedere Road to the Somme Centre, following the former railway track, and will involve new paths, a new bridge, path widening, new pedestrian crossings and new car parking. All the statutory consultee groups approved the plan.
The council received six letters of support and three letters of objection. Objectors raised concerns about antisocial behaviour along the route, greenway users having access to private residential gardens, new parking affecting access to private property, new parking being excessive and taking away green space, and the proposed bridge catering only for cyclists.
The report states the bridge would cater for both cyclists and pedestrians, and adds: “the existing green space which will be replaced by a parking area is council owned land and at present does not have any specific use.” It states new parking areas would not have an impact on access to private property.
It adds: “It falls to property owners to erect a fence if it is deemed necessary to secure their own property.” It proposes that fear of antisocial behaviour in car parks could be addressed by closing the parks at night.
Alderman McIlveen told the Planning Committee: “There were concerns from residents in Beverley Walk regarding the access to their gardens. To me it seems dismissive the way the report says it is the responsibility of the property owners to make their property safe. If we are creating a hazard, surely that is something we need to be looking at and taking into consideration a little bit more.”
He said: “The report states there is currently no antisocial behaviour at the Somme Centre car park. But of course we are going to build a bridge into it, which will then be accessible from a residential area. There is a valid query there about a new risk of antisocial behaviour.
“We have a big dual carriageway preventing people from crossing. There is some antisocial behaviour at the leadmines, but it is a bit of a walk for them to go all the way over to the Somme.
“But we are basically building a pathway into that. This is about knowing whether we are weighing up that risk appropriately. It isn’t enough to say it is not happening at the moment so it is unlikely to happen in the future. Building a footbridge to the centre does present that risk."
A council officer replied that “the regional benefit of a greenway” should be placed beside “the amount of houses that will be impacted.” She said: “Greenways provide sustainable transport options for the borough as a whole. That is up against the possibility of antisocial behaviour.
“A well used greenway, well lit and appropriately conditioned, should be a big benefit to local residents, rather than a negative. It is of community benefit.”
She added: “It is a balancing act between community benefit, sustainable transport, and our options and goals for the borough. Going forward, an overall plan will probably be required by the council to alleviate and mitigate against antisocial behaviour, in order to achieve our sustainability goals.”
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