Lower Newtownards Road Adjournment Debate 01/04/2008
Wednesday, 02 April 2008 18:59
Mr Deputy Speaker I want to thank the Business Committee for recognising the importance of this matter and allowing this debate to take place. And I want to express my gratitude to the staff and members of the East Belfast Partnership Board who have done so much to help raise the need for this project to be delivered and especially those who are the volunteer members of the Board. I will come to this aspect a little later.
The Newtownards Road is a main entry point to East Belfast; it is situated at one of Belfast’s busiest intersections, the junction of Short Strand, Bridge End, the M3 and Sydenham Bypass exits. From these main thoroughfares the Lower Newtownards Road carries commuters to and from the city and beyond serving not only East Belfast but also Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Comber and the Ards peninsula.The Newtownards Road, referred to locally as “the road”, has suffered significant dereliction as a result of the Troubles. The area has been blighted by a number of empty buildings, exacerbated by the vacation of a number of public buildings in close proximity to the Newtownards Road including most recently the former Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education Campus. Along Newtownards Road the retail offer is weakened by rows of empty shops and a poor street scape environment. The lack of open space within the adjoining area helps contribute to this overall poor physical environment. Housing stock to support the vibrancy of this main arterial route is, in places, poor and the deficient physical setting leads to the demand for social housing in the area being greatly reduced; much, much less than what it’s potential logically should be. Redevelopment of some housing stock has taken place but this is largely private sector led investment. In its heyday the Newtownards Road in many people’s eyes typified East Belfast - the place where the bulk of the area’s population lived and worked, where all sorts of shops plied their trade and a lively level of social activity existed. While people were not wealthy they exhibited a prosperity associated with a thriving neighbourhood. The levels of vacancy and dereliction on the Newtownards Road warranted it being identified as a priority by Belfast City Council in its Arterial Routes Programme; that first assessed the condition of the Arterial Routes in Belfast in 2001. The decline of the area had been fairly rapid; affected by the continuing decline of heavy industry, outward migration and changes in shopping patterns. The proposed action to be taken involved working on a multi agency basis but by 2005 there was enough concern about the lack of visible action that James Brown, a business sector member of East Belfast Partnership, decided to establish a steering group to inject some impetus into the process. The group initially updated the audit of the buildings, use and ownership on the Newtownards Rd and set a number of objectives including:- · obtaining special designation of the Newtownards Rd as a development zone· develop a partnership between DSD, BCC and EBP committed specifically to the regeneration of the Newtownards Rd· secure funding to develop a shared vision and action plan · Secure investment and commitment to deliver the action plan.· Identify early wins as funds become available to make environmental improvements to the road The key challenges for delivery of development on arterial routes are fragmented ownership and different agendas that are not necessarily focused on any common outcome. There is also a requirement that the key stakeholders, particularly those within government, work together to deliver quickly. The co-operation of planning and roads service will be paramount. The Group now known as the Newtownards Road 2012 group has just completed the development of the Newtownards Road 2012 Strategic Action Plan with sponsorship from Cherton, George Best City Airport and Titanic Quarter. The plan sets out the appropriate actions that need to be taken to regenerate vacant, derelict and under used sites and buildings along the road. Addressing the dereliction on the Newtownards Road is also a key priority within the Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan for inner east Belfast and has been formally recognised as one of the 5 priorities within the Inner East Strategic Regeneration Framework produced I January 2007 There continues to be a number of factors will add to existing pressure: –
· Increasing number of houses are being built outside Belfast
· The development of key sites such as Titanic Quarter, Sirocco Quays and Victoria Square
· Increases in the number of city centre workers have added to the volume of traffic using the arterial routes.
· While the proposed rapid transport system is very welcome it needs to be used as an opportunity to secure wider regeneration.
All of the above are to be welcomed in the greater context of the development of Belfast as a modern city and they will make a positive contribution to East Belfast
However a balance needs to be achieved to enable the Newtownards Road to service local communities but continue to provide radial access to the city centre for the increasing volumes of vehicle traffic.
It is clear that studies that have been undertaken consistently recognise the importance of the Newtownards Road as a barometer of success, its continued neglect has signified a lack of interest and concern from the authorities and any initiatives that have been undertaken have been fairly low impact. Failure to tackle the dereliction on the Newtownards Road is not only asking people to tolerate an unacceptable physical environment but is inhibiting progress in the area in relation to building community cohesion and improving health and well being. The costs of this neglect are being borne across all the public service. This is evidenced by the high levels of poor health, educational under achievement and anti-social behaviour etc. in the area. It is important to note that the Newtownards Road 2012 group was established as a self-help initiative which has managed to secure an impressive level of support across the private and public sector. There is an opportunity for government to respond positively to the initiative by ensuring that the following recommendations receive widespread support:- - Steps are taken to ensure a more flexible and responsive approach by the planning service to the opportunities being presented. An example would be the continued blight at the Holywood Arches caused by the road protection lines. East Belfast Partnership recently secured £23.5m from the Big Lottery to regenerate the Connswater River – there is a clear opportunity for added value.
- DSD employ a more active role as the key supporter of regeneration - there has been some activity by DSD to purchase derelict sites but more could be done to exert influence within government and the private sector.
- Where a case for intervention has been consistently made it is important that appropriate resources are provided and that Departments work together with local initiatives to deliver.
Mr Deputy Speaker,This adjournment debate is not about coming with a begging bowl attitude, it is not only about highlighting the levels of deprivation in the area, depressing through they are, but it is a call for Government at various levels to get its act together and invest in the area; it is about Government being positive and securing the future of this once prosperous area and returning the district to its former glory. In return the Government will receive benefits much greater than the level of the financial investment through having made a huge contribution to addressing the area’s social needs.
