Further details about plans for a research and community garden at the Queen’s PEC Playing Field at Lower Botanic Gardens have been revealed.
At this week’s meeting of Belfast City Council ’s Climate and City Resilience Committee, elected members approved the first stage in the development of a “scientific and environmental demonstrator” site in Lower Botanic Gardens.
It follows the successful award of funding from the Horizon 2020 EU ‘Upsurge’ project. The project focuses on testing nature-based solutions in five demonstrator cities across Europe, with the aim of sharing learning and good practice on pollution alleviation, citizen health and climate resilience.
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The first phase of the project will see a research garden used by QUB where soil enhancement, food production and digital testing can be undertaken. The project will also utilise bee monitoring.
Committee Chair, Sinn Féin Councillor Séanna Walsh said the first stage of the plan for the field would “lead to the stimulation of community resilience in relation to climate, community integration in the area with volunteers, residents and students learning together.”
The council approval only covers a section of the north side of the field. Plans for the rest of the field on Stranmillis Embankment have not yet been confirmed, and will have to go to consultation.
The most popular plan by community groups is for the creation of community gardens which will allow local residents to grow their own food, alongside a flax and wildflower meadow, children's play park and outdoor amphitheatre.
Stranmillis Community Group Friends of the Field is pushing for this plan and has already planted a wildflower meadow at the site. This Saturday (March 11, 11am to 2pm) the group will host a “Nests for Nature” event at the field.
However, Sinn Féin have also suggested the site could be used as a GAA facility. Sinn Féin Councillor John Gormley said at the council committee this week: “I welcome the plans for community engagement as part of the co-design process for the site, and also the plans for the sharing of knowledge to inform climate resilience best practice.
“I think the identification of satellite sites across the city is a very good idea, which the report says will spread the learning from this project and benefit the overall well being of residents beyond the demonstrator site itself.”
He added: “The report mentions the potential for other developments co-existing on the wider site running up to Ridgeway Street in the future. I know that local GAA are interested in the potential of a football pitch at Lower Botanic Gardens, and this area is mentioned in the council’s current Playing Pitches Strategy as being a candidate for a new pitch to address the significant shortage in pitch provision across the city.
“But I think what is set out in the report is absolutely right, that we proceed with the first phase of this project, while leaving other options open for future developments on the wider site pending the outcome of the consultation process and greater clarity about available budgets.”
A council officer told the committee: “The first section is research plots managed by Queen’s University, and these plots will look at how produce and other flora are grown with contamination in the ground. For those who don’t know the site, it has had a long history of contamination over the years, formerly used as an industrial dump as early as 1895.
“There are a number of contaminants at the site that we need to be exploring, and asking how we alleviate that. The benefit from a council and a climate team point of view is that these tests will go towards informing how we encourage communities across the city to either grow on contaminated ground or look at how they can be involved in addressing environmental impacts at a local level.”
Works on the Queen’s Research Garden section are to commence this month, with “natural” fencing to be erected around the metre long Queen’s plots, which will cover a 370 square metre space beside the PEC.
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