 |
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Residents Who've Had Enough !
| In recent years Belfast has seen unprecedented
development with an apparent policy of find a space build some homes. In
the middle of such a policy however, Northern Ireland has witnessed the
destruction of its heritage and greenery.
In September 2007, the fight back begun and surprisingly was being lead by those not known for such protest. However, when residents in Kensington Gardens & Shandon Park noticed that developers had moved on site on a Saturday morning and had started to fell trees, over a century old, all hell broke out. Local politicians such as Sir Reg Empey, Michael Copeland, Naomi Long & Lord Browne arrived with the police and pleaded with the contractors to halt their work whilst the DOE make a decision on issuing tree protection orders. The residents claim that the contractor did substantial damage to the trees early on, to ensure that they would have to be felled in any event, however residents were successful in halting further felling as tree protection orders were issued & served. Naomi Long indicated that she was to raise the matter with Arlene Foster and indicated that she had made previous calls for out of hour provisions to be introduced. |
Editorial
| We recognise the rights of a property owner to develop
their property but this is governed within the remit of the rights of
others. To allow a developer the right to destroy the fabric or ambience
of a neighbourhood without consultation should be unlawful and carry severe
penalties.
The site in question apparently has no planning application against and local residents speculated that the trees were being felled in preparation for one. It is certainly un-usual that contractors were working on a Saturday to complete such work and just as un-usual that the planning office has no out of hours provisions. coupled with local politicians and the police being powerless to intervene, we must call for a change in the law to stop any future occurrences like this. The planning service need to introduce an out of hours service, the police need to be given interim authority pending a decision from the appropriate authority and the Heritage Service need to do their job and protect our communities, neighbourhoods and of yes, HERITAGE, before it is completely destroyed. |
|
Copyright © 2010 cherryvalleyvillage.co.uk . All Rights Reserved. |
Cherryvalley, Knock, Cabin Hill, Gilnahirk Communities, Belfast, Northern Ireland - cherryvalleyvillage.co.uk
