Fears of "somebody getting killed" if car-parking is not improved at a South Belfast children's playing area have been expressed by a Castlereagh councillor.
The public safety concerns regarding the area next to Hydebank Playing Fields, off the Newtownbreda Road, were raised at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. The children's play park facility and football pitches have been developed by the local authority and have become a popular leisure destination but one that is seeing increased traffic in the area.
Read more: Cherryvale Playing Fields: Councillor calling for new bike shelters.
Castlereagh South councillor, Nathan Anderson (Ind) said: "I have received quite a number of complaints from residents concerning parking at the Hydebank playing park.
"People are parking cars and getting into bad habits. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is not doing anything about it. I am just afraid of somebody getting killed.
"There are vulnerable people being forced off the walk paths and on to the roads due to the way motorists are parking up on the paths. I need to know what we are doing about it."
A LCCC officer told the chamber: "We have a policy in place to extend the car-parking at the Hydebank playing fields.
"We are currently getting a quote to tarmac ground and to take away waste ground. However, it is beyond the current budget.
"We will bring the matter forward and see how deep the director's pockets are."
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