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The Committee for Health at the Northern Ireland Assembly is conducting an inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 on care homes and is seeking the views of residents / family members, owners / managers (employers) and staff to help them develop constructive recommendations aimed at mitigating and managing a second surge in infections.

The Committee would be grateful if interested parties could complete this short questionnaire so that they can gather views on a number of areas including infection prevention and control and visiting.

The results of this survey will help influence the Committee’s recommendations on the future management of infections within care homes.  This survey is conducted in utmost confidence, which guarantees confidentiality and anonymity. Under no circumstances will the individual or organisation be identified or associated with particular survey responses.

They will be asked certain questions depending on whether they are answering as resident, family member, member of staff or employer.  There is no requirement to answer all questions and you can scroll past any you feel unable to answer.

The link to the survey is below:

Committee for Health – Impact of COVID-19 on Care Homes Survey

The survey will close on 19^th October at 5pm.

If you have any questions on the survey or the inquiry please do not hesitate to contact the Committee for Health at the Northern Ireland Assembly: engagement@niassembly.gov.uk

Thanking you in advance,
The Assembly Engagement Team.

The Northern Ireland Assembly is contacting all youth and third sector organisations on the Assembly Outreach team’s database who work with young people 14-25 years of age.

Did you know that the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly has announced plans for a Youth Assembly?

What is a Youth Assembly?

The Youth Assembly is exactly that … an Assembly for Youth – a platform designed to be used by young people to have their voices heard. The core age range of the members will be 13 to 17, but there will be an upper age limit of 21 to ensure diverse representation. The Youth Assembly will provide young people with direct access to the decision-makers at the heart of our democracy.

Just as with the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Youth Assembly will have 90 members. It will hold committee meetings to deal with specific issues, sessions will be presided over by the Speaker, and debates will most likely take place in the Assembly Chamber in Parliament Buildings.

What’s happening now?

The Youth Assembly is still at a very early stage – a lot of details still need to be ironed out, but that’s on purpose! We want young people to help shape and develop how the Youth Assembly will work, what issues it will deal with, and how.

Young people in Northern Ireland will be the driving force behind how the Youth Assembly is established and developed. The idea for a Youth Assembly here has been in development for some time. We’ve looked at other youth forums and spoken to people involved in the youth sector and voluntary and community groups about how it will work. But, in order to help shape the Youth Assembly’s work, we really need young people to get involved.

Get involved!

The first step is to get yourself on our mailing list and we’ll keep you updated on everything you need to know. Check out the web page and sign up here.

You can also follow us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/northernirelandyouthassembly

https://twitter.com/NIYouthAssembly/

https://www.instagram.com/niyouthassembly/

We’d love to hear from you!

Youth Assembly Team

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Saintfield Development Association will be held via Zoom on Monday 26th October at 7.30 pm.

The AGM is usually held in June each year but the Covid-19 pandemic prevented this timing. Restrictions on public gatherings are likely to remain in force for the foreseeable future, hence the decision to hold the AGM electronically via Zoom this year.

Any member of the public who wishes to attend the ZOOM meeting should email editor@discoversaintfield.co.uk to request the link for the meeting. Please also detail any questions or issues you would like to be addressed. Similar comments/issues will be grouped together to avoid duplication.

Please advise any friends or neighbours without access to electronic communication of this notice if you are able to act on their behalf. A record of the meeting will also be available on request.

This is the third 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

I live in New Zealand.  My ancestors were William (c1810), Andrew his son (married Rachel Purdy 1853), and John (Andrew’s son born about 1860).  He married Lizzie (Eliza, Elizabeth) Boyd in 1880.  She died about 1882.  One child Eliza Jane born 1881.  John was a Tailor in Ballynahinch.  He emigrated to NZ 1887.  H Cecil Patterson was a cousin to John.  Does anyone have any information about this family?

Thanks.
Sally Billington (nee Patterson)

There have been nearly eighty comments in response to the recent PowerPoint consultation on the proposals for the development of a community heritage park in the windmill field in Saintfield. The great majority of these are positive and welcoming of a much-needed shared outdoor space in Saintfield. We believe that this response indicates the excitement and interest this proposed development has sparked among the residents of Saintfield.

Some concerns have been raised, mostly by people living adjacent to the field and SDA will be taking these into account when planning the next steps of the development.

CONCERNS RAISED

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Access to the field is currently via two field gates from the Windmill Road. Although these are usually locked it is relatively easy to climb over them and there have been a few occasions in recent years when there has been anti-social behaviour in the buildings in the field.

The plan for the park includes a two-metre-high fence around the whole perimeter, similar to the one around the community centre. The gates giving access from Windmill Road will also be the same height and locked. These gates will only be used by agricultural machinery, probably only a few times per year. All access to the park will be through the community centre site and only during daylight hours when the community centre is open. There will be no access at night.

The plan also includes CCTV cameras to monitor the park during the times that it is closed. This will deter any anti-social behaviour and record any instances that may occur.

It should be noted that SDA has taken a lead in highlighting the existing problem of anti-social behaviour in Saintfield, including a public meeting with council officials and other statutory bodies. SDA is currently working on additional activities for young people, including the use of the community centre.

PARKING

There will be no access to the park from Windmill Road and those using the facility will park in the community centre. This should overcome concerns over obstructive parking in Windmill Road or Windmill Grange. The planners will adjudicate on whether there is adequate parking in the community centre site for users of the park. Generally, parks are used mostly during the day and community centres during the evening, so it makes sense to use the same parking facilities for both.

PRIVACY

The immediate neighbours have enjoyed the field being used for grazing since their houses were built. As well as a perimeter fence, the plan for the park includes tree and shrub planting to form a buffer zone along the boundaries with neighbours. The final planting plan will take into account each immediate neighbour’s preference (within reason) to maximise their privacy.

The planned CCTV cameras will be sited to monitor activity solely on the field and will not oversee neighbouring properties.

NOISE

There will always be a certain level of noise with a community park, depending on the activity taking place and the number of people present. However, it should be noted that there will not be a children’s play park in the field. SDA already has planning approval for a play park at the front of the community centre and this is where it will be located, once funding has been raised. Likewise, if any outdoor concerts are planned in Saintfield, the ideal place would be under the canopy at the community centre.

DOGS

Opinion is divided in the responses as to whether dogs should be allowed into the park. Further consultation will be needed to see if a compromise can be reached on this.

NEXT STEPS

STEERING GROUP

SDA is very keen that this exciting and much needed project is a long-term success for the residents of the area. To ensure that all available expertise is included as the plans are finalised, a steering group is being established. This will be an advisory group, meeting quarterly, to offer advice, assistance and constructive criticism. Saintfield Heritage Society and the National Trust have agreed to join this group. Other local community groups will also be invited to participate.

PLANNING PERMISSION

SDA has already had pre-application discussions with the local planning office, which indicated that there should be no impediment to obtaining permission for the change of use of the field from agricultural to amenity use. The idea of a park was carried forward in The Saintfield Integrated Development Plan 2017 led by the Council (NMDDC). This plan lists the provision of a community park on the Windmill Field as priority number two in its list of community and youth facilities for Saintfield. The windmill is a designated heritage site and the intention is to stabilise the structure and tell the story of the windmill. No buildings will be erected on the site. The final plan for the park will depend on the amount of funding available, so it might make sense to just apply for outline permission at this stage.

FUND-RAISING

This project is SDA led and has taken many years of hard work and planning to even get to this stage. The park will belong to the people of Saintfield and will be a place to meet, relax and enjoy the outdoors for generations to come. But is will cost a lot of money to bring it to fruition. To this end, SDA has researched a long list of potential funders for the development of the field into a community heritage park. A short list of five has been identified as the most likely to give grants for the project. SDA will be applying to these in the coming months.

SDA has also launched a local fund-raising campaign, using GoFundMe. This is the first time local residents are being asked to donate to an SDA project. Locally raised funds are important to other funders as evidence of community support, and also provides the matched funding most donors require. Please watch this video which explains what we are planning to do and how you can help: https://gf.me/u/yf77gr

LIKELY TIMESCALE

All projects that include public bodies usually take longer than anticipated. It is likely to take up to two years to achieve planning permission and to raise the necessary funds to make the old buildings on the site safe, develop the paths and to make the site secure. In the meantime, the field will continue to be used for agricultural purposes.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

SDA is always happy to welcome more volunteers to join their ranks, whether as a member of one of our teams or by just joining in for work parties occasionally. Even if you don’t have time to devote a few hours a month to helping your community organisation, you can always donate to the GoFundMe campaign via this link: https://gf.me/u/yf77gr

CONCLUSION

The SDA, with financial support from a generous donor in the United States, has taken the first steps in acquiring the windmill field. It is now up to all residents of Saintfield to join with us to complete the project over the coming years, to provide a community park and a legacy for future generations of which we can all be proud.

The people of Saintfield have always been supportive of community initiatives and we trust this support will continue.

The SDA staged two consultations over the last two months to engage with residents of Saintfield on the proposed community heritage park at the Windmill Field, adjacent to the Saintfield Community Centre.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey was conducted through a PowerPoint presentation via electronic media.  There was an excellent response to the survey and the salient points from those responses are summarised below for your information.  The SDA project team will take into account all comments during the planning process for the park and will continue to liaise with residents to keep them informed as the project progresses.

Below is a summary of the comments from the two public consultations for the proposed Saintfield Community Heritage Park.

Suggestions:

– implementation could be phased as funding is sourced

– controlled access is important for security and preventing anti-social behaviour. Time-locked gates could be provided at Windmill Road.

– a children’s play area would be an added benefit

– an outdoor gym for older people

– more seating and benches

– the paths should be hard surface for buggies and wheel-chairs

– archaeological excavations should be carried out, especially to confirm whether there was a 17th century water powered sawmill

– the windmill could be fully restored in time

– the story of the Battle of Saintfield could be included

– near the allotments there should be storage for the SDA Green Team’s equipment

– there should be a water tap and picnic table by the allotments

– will there be toilets provided?

– consider the potential of extending a Greenway walk along the railway line or along the river, perhaps connecting Saintfield Demesne to Carsonstown

– consider revenue raising events to fund the maintenance (concerts, etc.)

– focus on wildlife habitats

Concerns raised:

– there are already anti-social behaviour problems in other areas of Saintfield. This park should not be a site for increased under-age drinking, drug use and anti-social behaviour

– there is already dangerous traffic on Windmill Road and the park should not add to this.

– there should not be access to the park from Windmill Road

– the park should not cause parking problems in Windmill Road or Windmill Grange

– there needs to be good security around the park, including fencing and high locked gates

– If CCTV is used to deter anti-social behaviour it should not impact on the privacy of immediate neighbours

– there should not be planned events that create noise problems for neighbours

– any planting around the boundary should not impact negatively on immediate neighbours

– any hedging or planting along the boundaries should be kept to a height acceptable to immediate neighbours

– if dogs are allowed, they should be not allowed to cause fouling problems

– is there enough head for a hydraulic generator without risking up-stream flooding or interfering with wildlife?

– how will the industrial heritage stories be told, including the water mill, windmill, flour mill, scutching mill and Belfast & County Down Railway?

– Keep the park as simple as possible to minimise maintenance, especially if volunteers will be relied on for the maintenance. A community garden would not be suitable.

– has the ongoing maintenance been costed?

– the buffer planting must be acceptable to immediate neighbours

– Support from Newry, Mourne and Down Council is essential, especially for access to the Windmill Field from the community centre site.

– Security to prevent anti-social behaviour is important

– learn from other similar projects, such as Beechgrove Garden as shown on BBC 2 television.

– Car parking capacity at peak times

– the park should be dog free

– there should be no increased risk to flooding for neighbouring properties

– why so little information so far? There should be more engagement, particularly with immediate neighbours.

The works have been scheduled for this period when schools are closed and there is typically less traffic commuting on this route. Whilst this work is largely outside the main street and town centre (completed in 2019), there will be some disruption experienced and steps will be taken to minimise the impact.

Click on the map below to download the pdf version which outlines the scheduled activity over the 12 weeks required for completion of the works. With the exception of a short closure of Windmill Road at the beginning of the works, the remaining works are to be undertaken under lane closure with temporary traffic lights. The programme of works will operate near critical junctions at times and to ensure a steady flow of traffic these will be manned Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm and at busy times over the weekends by a specialist traffic management company.

Real time updates on the works as they progress will be available at: www.phoenixnaturalgas.com/projects