CHRISTMAS cheer could be about to return to Dunmurry village this year as Sinn Féin councillor Danny Baker pushes for a return of the village Christmas tree after eight years.
As part of a greater push on bringing festive cheer into the communities, Cllr Baker is exploring the possibility of having permanent trees installed in communities across Colin and wider West Belfast.
“I know it seems a long way away, but these things take time to plan,” he said.
“We have the big lights switch on in the city centre then smaller ones at the likes of Colin Connect, but Covid has showed the importance of bringing that festive cheer into the heart of communities.
“If you look at the tree that we have at Mount Eagles with the Lagmore Youth Project, we have about 300 people attending that. That is no longer sustainable because it was in the middle of a roundabout.
“I have been meeting Council to explore regenerating Mount Eagles Square and installing a permanent tree which would then be decorated at Christmas time.”
Cllr Baker added that when planning such events, sustainability and the environment need to be at the forefront which is why he is advocating that permanent trees be installed.
“In Council, we recently brought forward a motion which would see sustainability at the heart of the Council planning for such events and permanent trees form part of that,” he continued.
“As part of this, I am also pushing for a return of the Christmas tree in Dunmurry village. They have been without a Christmas tree for eight years now and they used to have a fantastic tree which sat out on the front of the road.
“I would also like to see smaller satellite events within communities where trees such as the ones we had installed through the Lagmore Youth Project, are placed within communities so that we can spread that festive cheer and I hope that Council will support that.”
