Latest News Items …

Martyn Todd, Chair of the SDA, received this plaque from Councillor Cathy Mason, the new Chair of Newry, Mourne and Down Council. He received it on behalf of all the volunteers who delivered food parcels in and around Saintfield and Darragh Cross during the first lock down last year. Councillor Mason said that the residents of the Rowallane area were fortunate to have so many people willing to help out during the pandemic.

You may be aware that the Saintfield Development Association is in the lengthy process of developing the windmill field (adjoining the community centre) as a community park.  This facility will provide a much-needed safe space for the people of Saintfield and environs to relax, exercise, socialise and enjoy the fresh air.  At the same time, plans are in hand to preserve and make safe the old windmill and ancillary buildings in the field, which are currently deteriorating.

The windmill was an important part of Saintfield life in past years and we would love to find out more about the mill, the ‘Big Wind’ which blew the sails off and put it out of action, never to be repaired; and any other items of information surrounding this historic structure.

If you have any stories, memories or anecdotes about the windmill and its surrounds, please let us know. Your reminiscences will help us to build up a picture of the role the windmill and field played in the lives of residents over the years.

We will publish a selection on our website and in Saintfield News, so send your tales to editor@discoversaintfield.co.uk

Information provided by Ellen Brennan, Newry Mourne & Down District Council’s Rowallane DEA Coordinator:

Download class details HERE

Tom Franklin, the Project Co-Ordinator for the Bolster Community in Newry, is pleased to announce that they are currently launching a new Youth Leadership Project across the 7 DEAs of Newry, Mourne and Down for Year 10 & 11 students (13,14, 15 yr olds).

Youth Upfront is a Peace IV-funded project that will be starting in February and will consist of up to four remote, interactive workshops throughout February and March, hosted by guest speakers and facilitators.

They will then be taking the participants on a free weekend-long residential (Covid Pending) to the SHARE Discovery Village in Fermanagh across April & May, including additional workshops onsite during the visit.

They will also be hosting community events organised by the participants themselves to round off the project and these will occur in May & June.

Additional information for both Youth Leaders and Students

Padani 62 Boutique was the winner of the ‘Best Dressed Window’ competition held for Saintfield traders over the Christmas period.

Owner Shirley Somerville – Hoyle was thrilled to win the £100 prize, especially as it was the boutique’s first year in business. The window display was both striking and innovative and drew many favourable comments from shoppers.

David Greer, leader of the Events team of the Saintfield Development Association who sponsored the competition, said that it had been run to encourage traders to brighten up their window displays for the period leading up to Christmas.

He added, “We also hoped the competition would encourage residents to shop locally and support our local traders, many of whom have suffered a dramatic downturn in business due to the current pandemic”.

He also thanked Moira George of the Barn Owl Boutique, who arranged a number of attractions on Main Street to encourage the shop local campaign.

The annual Saintfield Christmas Fair, a major attraction in the town over the festive season, had to be cancelled due to Covid – 19 restrictions.

LETTER TO SAINTFIELD CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, SPORTS CLUBS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

For over ten years the need for a community park in Saintfield has been identified through previous public consultations.  Since 2012 SDA has been working to realise this ambition with the local Council and other agencies.  Initially the challenges included finding a good site and raising the necessary funding.

When Down District Council purchased the buildings on the Belfast Road for the new community centre, the field behind it, known as the windmill field, became the logical site for the community park.  With a generous donation from David Moffett, SDA was able to purchase the windmill field in the spring of 2020. In November 2019, SDA asked NMD Council to grant pedestrian access to the windmill field from the community centre site.  With the help of our local councillors an easement for access was finally granted in November 2020.

SDA’s next objective is to obtain planning permission to change the use of this field to a community park with associated environmental and heritage improvements.  As the field is greater than one hectare it is categorised as a major development, entailing a 12-week pre-application consultation process. SDA initiated this consultation on 23 November 2020 and hopes to submit the planning application in March 2021.

SDA once again needs your support to demonstrate to the planners that there is widespread public support for this park.  Please take the time to respond to this consultation and ask all the members of your church, school, sports club or community group to do the same. This is an opportunity to provide an outdoor neutral community space for those living in and around Saintfield for generations to come.

Further information about the proposed development can be obtained by accessing

http://discoversaintfield.com/category/windmill-park-project/  These proposals take into account concerns raised (mostly by neighbours of the field) through the previous consultation earlier this year.

Because of the Covid-19 restrictions, no public event can be held, so the consultation will need to be mainly electronic.  Please submit any comments by email to

windmillfield@discoversaintfield.co.uk or by using the comments section of the website

discoversaintfield.com or by post to SDA, c/o 29 Belfast Road, Saintfield, BT24 7EP.  Comments should be received by 31 January 2021.  SDA will endeavour to address concerns and suggestions as far as reasonably practical in any future planning application.

Alternatively, you can complete the survey on the website at

http://discoversaintfield.com/2020/11/survey-to-discover-your-ideas-for-the-community-park/

Please note that all comments at this stage are to SDA as the prospective applicant and are not representations to the Council. When SDA submits a planning application at the end of this 12-week consultation period, there will be an opportunity to make representations to the council on the application.

Issued by the Coordinating Team, Saintfield Development Association –  Barbara Graham, Brian Gamble, David Greer, David McMinn, Ian Mack, Janice McHenry, Jen Smith, Lawrence Murphy, Martyn Todd and Paul McGeown.

I wonder if you have information on the history of Doran’s Rock and if Daniel Doran born c 1710 owned the land at the time. I descended from Patrick Doran, born 1735, and he might be Daniel’s son. After the Battle of Saintfield, the family went to Glasgow in Scotland. Patrick and his son Patrick Jr were tenant farmers in Seaforde nearby, prior to 1805. Information would be appreciated. I live in New Zealand.

Thanks.
Rachel Hessey

This is the fourth issue of a newsletter containing local information which you might find useful in the current situation.

You can download the PDF  by clicking on the image above or HERE.

Please submit any comments, suggestions or corrections to editor@discoversaintfield.co.uk

DOWNLOAD YOUR ENTRY FORM HERE!

Now that Newry, Mourne and Down District Council allows residents to put glass in their recycling bins, they are planning to remove the bottle banks from the district.  NMD say that they probably will have the bottle bank in the Downpatrick Street car park in Saintfield removed by the end of January 2021.