A controversial plan for a greenway along a North Down coastal path has been scrapped after a display of local people power.
At Thursday’s meeting of Ards and North Down Council at Bangor Town Hall, elected representatives rejected council officers recommendations for the creation of a greenway along the North Down Coastal Path, just as objectors against the project protested peacefully outside and inside the building.
The plan for a £7million 20-mile greenway saw particular opposition regarding the stretch of Kinnegar to Donaghadee coast which overlaps with the existing North Down Coastal Path.
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Objectors group 'For Another Path' set up a petition against the council’s plans for the greenway, which has to date gained 3,940 e-signatures. The group states: “These plans would destroy its natural character and have a devastating impact on the marine environment and the experience of people on the path.
“If approved, the planning application would widen the path by tree felling, increasing tarmac cover and adding costly concrete and metal bridges. Almost worse than this, it short-changes the cyclists it is meant to serve who want to commute quickly and safely by bike.
“The proposed route is long, indirect and cyclists will have to look out for and give way to pedestrians. Rather than delivering top-quality cycle lanes (as near Carrickfergus), the Council has planned a fast ‘mini-road’ that will permanently spoil the spirit of natural wildness at the heart of the coastal path’s appeal to the community.
“Tensions between cyclists and walkers are already being expressed. Our aim is to reduce this and find a solution that works for everyone who loves the path.”
Additional research was published by the council featuring a survey by the company Social Market Research that recorded public feeling about the Kinnegar to Donaghadee section of the project. The council said the data indicated locals broadly support proposals.
After a public meeting held this week on the council plan, an objector said: “The data states that 76 percent are satisfied with the path as it is and only 2 percent are dissatisfied, which suggests that the majority would prefer it left alone."
At the council meeting on Thursday Independent Councillor Ray McKimm proposed the withdrawal of the Kinnegar to Donaghadee greenway planning application by the council, receiving unanimous support from all parties across the chamber.
He also proposed working groups to discuss the North Down Coastal Path and potential improvements, as well as a commitment by the council not to forward any further plans without “meaningful” consultation.
He said the plan had “to put it mildly enraged this community.” He added: “I think we can summarise the community response as yes to greenways, but not in the identified location, and certainly not the way it is conveyed in the plans.
“This community has lost trust in the process with us as a council, and will not be satisfied by tweaks or even significant changes. They have lost faith in the council’s ability to deliver this project, by officers who have told them they must have this greenway or the coastal path will fall into the sea.
“What they are asking for is radical changes, for the greenway to be taken out of the green lines and put somewhere yet to be determined.”
DUP Councillor Jennifer Gilmore said: “I will support Councillor McKimm’s proposal. It wasn’t initially my preferred option, my party’s preference would have been for the pausing of the current application, however from conversations with other parties in recent days I recognise there is not the will in the room.” She said: “It is not worth selling our soul for a £7 million fund.”
Alliance Party Alderman Scott Wilson said: “There are a lot of people, seemingly hundreds, who feel the council were not listening, and that they were being ignored. Although there are a lot of people clearly against the greenway, there are also people who are in favour, who perhaps would not have been so vocal.
“One of the things I noticed very early on was how the debate became polarised quickly. There seems to have been one group who would like the coastal path turned into a fully blown world class greenway route, a path of international significance with astounding vistas, something that really puts us on the map.
“On the other hand there seems to be another group of people saying not one blade of grass should be touched, and all cyclists should be banned. In reality I think the majority were in the middle somewhere.”
Green Councillor Rachel Woods said: “Given the current plans for the Kinnegar to Donaghadee Greenway, in our opinion, represent significant and disastrous environmental damage to certain areas of our coastal path, it is impossible for us to support the current plans. They must be revised. This whole process has shown the failings of our planning system.
“We have tick-box exercises instead of genuine community consultation, we have no equal rights of appeal, and environmental protections can be ignored. The whole system is opaque, confusing and subject to misinterpretation. It is paramount that any new proposals are developed with local residents’ input, rather than being imposed on them.”
The council study involved a survey of 404 residents, and interviews with 108 users of the existing North Down Coastal Path.
A total of 40 percent of residents were found to be aware of the council’s proposals for the greenway, with 76 percent being supportive of the proposals, and 79 percent seeing the development as “positive for the area.”
A figure of 76 percent of the residents said they used the existing path, and the same amount said they were satisfied with the existing path. 85 percent said they would use the path if it was developed.
The council report stated: “This research shows that a majority of residents, and existing users of the North Down Coastal Path, are supportive of the council’s proposal to develop a coastal path/greenway from Kinnegar Holywood to Donaghadee. Moreover, most residents and current path users see the council's proposal as being a positive development for the area.
“If the coastal path were to be developed in line with the council’s proposal, the research suggests that there will be increased use among residents, with almost all current users saying they too would use the path.”
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