A plan for a European style 'piazza' in Newtownards has been scuppered by council cleaning issues.
Plans to give Conway Square in the town a continental flavour, with new seating and tables, came to a halt this week after the cleansing department of Ards and North Down Council raised issues that meant it could not meet a Stormont deadline.
Elected members heard at this week’s council meeting of the Regeneration and Development Committee (February 3) that the project would have received £80,000 from the Stormont Department for the Communities, with a condition it had to be commissioned by March 31.
To achieve this the tender for the supply of the seating and tables had to be issued this week, which could not happen due to the redesign, consultation responses and procurement deadlines.
The council report on the plan states: “Concerns have been raised about the maintenance and cleaning of the square, especially the tables and chairs. At present Conway Square is cleaned using a small mechanical sweeper, and it is felt that the introduction of these tables and chairs would require additional time as manual brushing would now be required.
“However, the main concern was about how the tables, chairs and surrounding areas would be kept clean during the course of a day so that a build-up of waste did not occur.
“In light of these issues, officers have spoken with DfC who has confirmed that the offer of funding is only available until March 31, 2022. However, the department outlined, subject to DfC capital budgets, that there may be funding available in the next financial year which may allow the council to revisit the scheme once the operational issues had been resolved.”
It adds: “After considering the above it is now believed the implementation of the scheme should be reworked with an operation plan being developed and a further report being presented to the council as soon as possible.”
A council officer told the Regeneration and Development Committee that the idea came initially from the Newtownards Town Chamber of Commerce, but the Conway Square Market Manager said it might “interfere” with elements of the various markets held there.
The officer said the council then redesigned the plan to leave optimum space for markets but then faced “an extremely tight” timeframe for tendering, and further obstacles from the council’s own cleansing department.
Committee Chair, Alliance Alderman Alan McDowell said: “It is a bit disappointing it has been delayed, but hopefully it won’t be delayed too much further into next year.”
