Residents in a Co Antrim village have been left "frustrated" after the park they transformed during lockdown is set to be dismantled.
The self-funded community project saw tonnes of rubbish lifted, hedges and grass trimmed and exciting features embedded throughout the walk.
The space went from a walkway area plagued with fly tipping and anti-social behaviour to a child-friendly adventure with flower beds, tree swings, fairy doors and minigolf.
Read more: Locals transform overgrown glen into greenspace for the community
But over the past few months, the grass has been left to grow over and items from the park have been removed.
Local man Colin Bailie from Whiteabbey Environmental and Well-being Group said they're distraught to see their park being dismantled bit by bit.
"It's about the community, it was all about bringing fun and laughter into the area," he told Belfast Live.
"For over 15 years, this place was abandoned. You wouldn't have walked through the Glen. It was full of anti-social behaviour, piled high with rubbish, as well as burnt out bins and cars.
"The Council did try to clean it up but broke their machines due to the amount of debris, including bits of bikes and parts of furniture that had been fly tipped. We said to them if we could lift everything out, would they come cut the grass? That's where we got our start from."
In the past two years, they have received four awards from Translink and the Royal Horticultural Society for their transformation of the area into a family-friendly space.
And despite great support from the Council in the first eighteen months of the park's existence, eight months ago the group were told not to touch anything.
Colin said: "The Council couldn't have done more for us, it was fantastic for the first 18 months or so. We never cut a tree down, but we did cut back, and we told them what we were doing. They asked if we could form a group to help keep an eye on the Glen so we did, and we're now fully constituted.
"Then all of a sudden we were being asked to remove things. We were told we weren't allowed planters, to remove a swing on the tree, and remove the chalk notice board.
"The Council then told us we weren't to touch anything anymore, it was their property and they were going to be taking control of it. They said we were no longer going to be working in this Glen, but were giving no reasons why.
"Everything we've done, local children were involved in creating it. About eight months ago we were told not to touch anything, so we haven't, and now items have been taken away and the grass has been growing over.
"The positivity has been taken away. We're kind of stuck because we don't know what we can do at the moment."
To remedy this, Whiteabbey Environmental and Well-being Group are asking for a further meeting with the Council to discuss their concerns.
"We want an answer as to why this is happening. We haven't touched this place in eight months with no reason as to why," Colin continued.
"Council told us anything they took away would be replaced, but we haven't seen that happen so far. The whole community has kind of backed down now, everyone's been left broken-hearted."
However, the Council have said they are working alongside local residents and groups to prepare for submitting Whiteabbey Glen for a prestigious Green Flag award.
The Green Flag award is an accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces to promote standards of good management and best-practice amongst the green space sector.
A spokesperson for Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council said: "Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has been working with local residents and groups on the implementation of a Management Plan in preparation for submitting Whiteabbey Glen for a prestigious Green Flag.
"In keeping with the natural beauty of the Glen, the plan includes areas of grass which will be mown and some which will be in meadow grass and pollinator corridors. There is also an area set aside for the local community to use and a bug hotel.
"In response to feedback from the local group, additional litter bins and benches have been installed and some improvements made around a footbridge.
"There have been a number of meetings on site with the local group to ensure their involvement and to date these have been very productive. The Council has also received very positive feedback regarding the changes from a wide range of local residents.
"The Management Plan ‘blueprint’ for the Glen is being used across the Council’s parks and green spaces."
Read more: Whiteabbey residents on a mission to keep area's history alive
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