WORK is due to commence in July on a £3.4 million redevelopment of Marrowbone Park in North Belfast.
Work will include the installation of a new play park, upgrades to the 3G pitch, a new multi-use games area, a new pavilion and additional improvements to the site to enable large scale community events to be hosted in the future.
The redevelopment was approved last June thanks to funding from The Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative, Belfast City Council and the Department for Communities. Work is expected to take approximately 14 months to complete.
Local Sinn Féin Oldpark councillor Nichola Bradley welcomed confirmation this week that work will begin in July.
“I welcome the start of this work and look forward to the park realising its huge potential to bring serious investment and first class facilities to the people of Ardoyne and the wider Oldpark area," she said.
“This has been a long battle to reach this point and along with the community, statutory agencies and activists we have overcome major hurdles during this process.
“I’m confident that with goodwill and determination we can all pull together now to finish the project as soon as possible.
“The vision for the Bone Hills has always been an inclusive one providing for a full range of sports, activities and play for all ages.
“We only have to look at the GAA facilities at the Crickey to understand the massive demand for good quality sporting venues at the heart of the community and how well they are used and cherished.
“I have every confidence that this project will have a similar impact and generations of local children and families will benefit from the transformation of the area.”
