Details of a new £5.1 million greenway to connect parks and open spaces along a 12 kilometre route in North and West Belfast have been announced.
Forth Meadow Community Greenway will create shared paths and cycle ways along a route starting at Clarendon Playing Fields and ending at the new Transport Hub in the city centre near the Grosvenor Road.
Wayfinding and information signage, street furniture and public art will also be installed along the route, while key sites will be enhanced with landscaping and planting.
The project will be delivered by Belfast City Council thanks to funding from the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding will be provided by the Executive Office and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland. The redevelopment of Springfield Dam Park received additional funding from the Department for Communities.
Lord Mayor Alderman Frank McCoubrey, said: “Forth Meadow Community Greenway is a really exciting project that will help regenerate local neighbourhoods along its 12 kilometre route.
“Alongside the capital project which will be completed in 2022, an imaginative community activity and events programme will be delivered at sections along the new greenway, with the aim of bringing communities together and promoting the use of the shared space.
“By encouraging residents to make more use of facilities in neighbouring areas, the new greenway and activity programme will also encourage interaction between communities that have been divided for too long.”
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First Minister Arlene Foster said: “This is not just about sharing places but it is also about sharing experiences and joining together in events and activities. This will enable communities to foster good and positive relationships for the long-term. I look forward to seeing the project when it is completed.”
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill also welcomed the development that will bring communities in North and West Belfast closer together.
“In building a better and shared future, we need to find new ways to improve connectivity, facilitate mobility and open up our communities for the benefit of everyone. The Forth Meadow Community Greenway is an important project which will help to do just that by creating links and shared spaces across the city.
“The development of greenway infrastructure will also help to support a greener, healthier and more sustainable future for all our people.”
Outlining the importance of the project Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the SEUPB, said: "Unfortunately many parts of Belfast still remain deeply divided, along sectarian lines, with little or no opportunity for people to mix with and learn from each other. Upon its completion the impressive, EU PEACE IV-funded, Forth Meadow Community Greenway will help to change this. It will provide opportunities to foster many positive and long-term relationships between people from all sections of the community. The shared space project will also facilitate many new, exciting cross-community events and activities that will help to create a more peaceful, tolerant and cohesive society."
There are five sections to the project:
l Section 1 (Glencairn to Ballygomartin) – Glencairn Park will see improvements including a new entrance at Forthriver Road and a new 3m wide path linking Glencairn Park to Glencairn Road. There will also be improvements to Forth River Linear Park’s existing path, replacement of fencing at Clarendon Playing Fields and the refurbishment of the footbridge at Forthriver Way.
l Section 2 – a new shared space including walking and cycling paths will be created on the former industrial land between the lower Forth River and Springfield Road. New paths will also connect the space to Paisley Park and Woodvale Park.
l Section 3 – this section includes the £1.2 million redevelopment at Springfield Dam which received additional funding from the Department for Communities. The route connects Springfield Road with the Whiterock Community Corridor and Falls Park. As well as pathways, wayfinding signage and street furniture, work will enhance existing junctions to improve crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
l Section 4 (Bog Meadows Nature Reserve, owned and maintained by the Ulster Wildlife Trust). Pathways within and connecting to the nature reserve will be widened, with additional planting and lighting added. The route will connect to Broadway, where a new, welcoming entrance will be added.
l Section 5 (Westlink to city centre) – this section, starting at Broadway Roundabout and ending at the new Transport Hub, will see new wayfinding signage installed and improvements to the existing path.
