Windmill Park Project

Over the coming weeks you may notice some work being carried out to the buildings in the Saintfield Community Park site.  The former windmill, flour mill, and miller’s cottage are of great historical importance, and are in fact on a Scheduled Monument site.  This means that the utmost care must be taken to protect and stabilise the buildings and any work undertaken to do so must be approved by the Historic Environment Division. We have obtained Scheduled Monument Consent from HED to remove trees and their roots that are threatening the stability of the buildings. Without this intervention the buildings might eventually collapse.

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

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.

Please complete this short survey which will help us to gather your views on how the Windmill Community Park could best be utilised for the benefit of the local population and visitors from further afield.

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/15EO4K/

PROPOSED WINDMILL COMMUNITY PARK, SAINTFIELD

INTRODUCTION

Saintfield Development Association (SDA), with the generous financial help of David Moffett, has purchased the windmill field in Saintfield. The field is adjacent to, and east of, the new community centre and abounds Windmill Grange, Windmill Road and Millpond Business Park. It is currently in agricultural use.

SDA’s ambition is to develop the field as a community park for the benefit of residents of Saintfield and the surrounding area. A key step in realising this ambition is to obtain planning approval for change of use to amenity community use. As the field exceeds one hectare in area, it is classified as a major project by the planners and therefore a twelve-week consultation process is required before a planning application can be submitted.

The information here is published to allow people to submit any comments to SDA before a planning application is made. Because of the current virus pandemic the consultation process must be electronic and no public meeting will be held as part of the consultation. Any comments should be sent to windmillfield@discoversaintfield.co.uk before 31st January 2021.

BACKGROUND

Population

Saintfield is recorded as having a population of just under 4 000 people, however, within a four mile radius there are around 12 000 people who relate to the town.

Current Available Public Spaces and Facilities

The town supports five churches as well as football, hockey, cricket, bowling and running clubs and the nearby GAA club in Darragh Cross. These have well-used pitch facilities.
There are two primary schools and one secondary school, all with very limited outdoor space.
The new Community Centre, run by volunteers, was open for nearly a year before it was closed due to the Covid -19 pandemic. It was a great success and was well supported. There is a car park and some limited grassed areas around the Centre, which comprises an indoor football pitch as well as a hall and studio space.
The National Trust property at Rowallane Garden provides facilities at the edge of the town.
There are no free public access pedestrian spaces in the town, only pavements and a facility to walk around the perimeter of the cricket and hockey pitches.

Government Policy and Need for Well-being Opportunities

– The Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland (SPPS), September 2015, Paragraphs 4.3-4.10, Improving `health and Wellbeing and Paragraphs 4.13-4.15, Creating and Enhancing Shared Space.
– Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Draft Corporate Plan, 2019-2023, Strategic Objective No 2, Contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of everyone in the district.
Newry, Mourne and Down Local Development Plan 2030, Key Issue 10, Open Space Provision, Paragraph 6.70.
– Living Well Together, A Community Plan for Newry, Mourne and Down to 2030, aligning with three of the four thematic groups listed on Page 26, namely Environmental and Spatial Development, Health and Wellbeing and Safety & Good Relations.

Current central and local government policies and plans recognise the crucial need to address physical and mental health and well-being. The provision of this proposed community park aligns with all of these, as demonstrated above.

The Village Plan for Saintfield produced in 2012 and revised in 2018 identifies a strong need for a public space to give free pedestrian exercise and recreation opportunities. The Windmill Field site was identified as being eminently suitable for this purpose.

The Windmill Field Site encompasses a section of the old railway line from Comber to Downpatrick which, we understand, is currently the subject of a feasibility study to assess the potential for a Green Way.

Public Consultation

Extensive public consultation has been carried out by SDA since 2010 in connection with the development of village plans for Saintfield and the facilities for the new community centre. Overall, there have been nearly 1200 written responses to the various consultation supporting the idea of a community park at the windmill field and a small number of negative views, all from some of the immediate neighbours to the field.

As part of the production of the Village plan, public consultations indicated a strong need and local support for the provision of a local park. Support from Council and other relevant public bodies is confirmed by the Village Plan. All five Rowallane councillors support the need for a community park in Saintfield.

On this basis, the Saintfield Development Association seized the opportunity to acquire the field when it arose. Since the acquisition, Covid-19 restrictions have prohibited public meetings but consultations were carried out as widely as possible utilising social media. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Neighbours with boundaries to the site were contacted personally and invited to consult with SDA representatives on an individual basis on site. No group meetings were arranged as each neighbour had individual concerns and numbers were restricted by Covid regulations.
Some neighbours were agreeable to meeting SDA and our proposals take into account these discussions.

Choice of Setting and Location

In the Planning framework for Saintfield, the Windmill Field site is designated as “LLLP”
It is therefore one of the very few open spaces within the town boundary.
The access to the field from Windmill Road is only suitable for limited use. However, the situation of the field immediately behind the new Community Centre provides an ideal access point from the rear of the centre, as well as allowing use of the parking spaces at the centre.
Schools, the town’s main street, sporting facilities and many housing areas are within easy walking distance of the Windmill Field. In November 2020 Newry, Mourne and Down Council granted SDA an easement for access to the proposed park from the community centre.

SITE DESCRIPTION

Background and History of the Site

The Windmill Field contains the remains of a four storey, 18th century windmill stump, with ancillary stone buildings and part of the track bed of the Belfast & County Down Railway (BCDR) including two cut stone bridges. Along the southern boundary is a small river that provided the water power for the original historic mill complex on this site in the 17th Century.

Factors Supporting the Suitability of the Site

The field contains a wide variety of features in its limited space. The windmill stump and ancillary structures comprise a scheduled monument and therefore are of regional importance. This is an opportunity for them to be stabilised and preserved.
The old railway line which forms one boundary is another point of interest.
The town river forms yet another boundary and has a history of being used for the production of power.

These features combine to allow us to tell the story of Saintfield as a place where agricultural products were processed and the various means of power production both past and present (as per the air source heat pumps and photo-voltaic panels in the community centre)

There are only six private dwellings on the site boundaries. These are elevated above the level of the site so that the privacy of their back gardens is easily protected.

Environmental Impact

It is intended that the park will preserve and improve the environment in several ways: –
– The site encompasses a variety of different types of terrain.
– Elevated views over the town and surrounds.
– Boggy areas which can be ponded and managed to create miniature environments for flora and fauna.
– Slopes and small steep banks suitable for the planting of indigenous trees.
– Riverside access and boundaries which can be used as wild life corridors. Water quality can also be monitored.

Drainage, Water Courses and Water Quality

Existing storm drainage from surrounding developments is currently piped into the river through the field. This can be diverted so that the pond can be used to regulate this flow into the river at a point just upstream from the sewage plant. This plant, we understand, is under serious pressure and this can only be a help.
A feasibility study was commissioned by consultants early in 2020, which included a water quality assessment.
The feasibility report concluded that, from the surveys carried out, there were no impediments to the proposed community park on this site.

Access Issues

The main pedestrian access proposed is through the rear of the Community Centre grounds. This site is the property of Newry Mourne and Down Council, who have granted a way leave access easement to the proposed park
Access to the park will be controlled through the Community Centre grounds and will be closed by locked gates when the Community Centre is closed. The access to the park will be open only during daylight hours. The gates will be open and locked closed by the staff or volunteer on duty at the community centre.
The access from Windmill Road will be for maintenance vehicles only and will be kept gated and locked to prevent public access.

Noise Assessment

There are practical difficulties in estimating noise behaviour in the Park at the moment. Following concerns raised by neighbours during the feasibility study consultation early in 2020, the park will not be used for large gatherings or events which are noise generating. Admittance to the park will take potential neighbour disturbance into consideration at all times.
The Community Centre itself is designed to accommodate any indoor or outdoor group events with a canopy, flood lighting, toilet facilities and power supply. There will be no need for the park to be utilised for anything of that nature. Also there will not be a children’s playground in the proposed park.

PROPOSALS

These should be read in conjunction with the drawing attached below which shows the proposed layout of paths, fencing and access to the park.

Traffic and Parking Issues

It is proposed that parking for the Windmill Park will utilise the Community Centre car park. A survey of the car park usage is impossible at the moment as the Community Centre is closed. We know, however, from our experience that in normal usage the car park is busiest in the evenings and even at peak times, there are still plenty of parking spaces available. We note that a similar park in Carryduff has 12 parking spaces which appear to meet the need.
The Community Centre car park may be required in future to accommodate any users of the currently unoccupied and undeveloped building at the centre. We anticipate that this use would be mainly during business hours and do not foresee this to be a future problem. Traffic management at the access is working well off the Main Road.

Flora and Fauna

The field is currently being used by a local farmer for rough grazing. The railway line is overgrown with various mature trees and bushes as are the field corners at the river.
It is our intention to reinforce and expand these areas with indigenous tree planting.
Marshy and waterside areas will be planted with the appropriate damp loving species which will also form a natural safety barrier.
Existing wild life corridors will be protected and augmented with animal access points set into the fencing.
The feasibility study found no evidence of roosting bats, badger sets or other protected fauna. It is hoped to encourage species such as swifts etc. by the provision of nest boxes and other suitable habitats. It is hoped that local people and schools will become involved in such projects.

Restoration of Windmill and Protected Surroundings

The Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities has identified an area within which their approval is needed for any work. This area is a scheduled monument and contains the windmill stump and two derelict stone buildings.
SDA has held discussions with the HED and has received scheduled monument consent to remove ivy and scrub from the protected ruins.
We intend to raise funds to carry out work to protect and stabilise the buildings, in consultation with the department. We hope this will create further interest in the park.
In the interim we will erect a post and wire fence to separate the ruins from public access.
The 2020 feasibility study included a structural survey of these ruins. We contend that our proposal offers the only possibility of protecting this significant piece of industrial history which would otherwise be left to deteriorate and collapse over time.

Railway Trackbed

Saintfield Development Association are very supportive of any feasible project to open up Greenways on the old Comber to Downpatrick railway line. The section of this that bounds our site would mean that the park could become a feature of any such Greenway. We envisage potential here for an access point to the town, enhancing the use of both the town and the Greenway.
The need for cycle and exercise tracks is well documented. We envisage that any such Greenway could be diverted from the actual track route, through the park, thus preserving the existing wild life corridor function.

Impact on Neighbouring Properties

As stated earlier, the aim is to minimise any disturbance to all the neighbours. We also believe that the granting of approval for use of the field as a park will protect the field from being used in a less appropriate way in future.
It is our intention to improve the separation of neighbouring houses from the park. We have agreed to erect a 1.8m high palisade boundary fence as indicated on our plan. This will leave space for access for neighbours to maintain their own fences. Some agreed low level planting is also proposed to enhance the boundary. Planting clusters within the park will be designed to break and obstruct any views of the properties from the park. The natural topography of the site will be used to keep paths below vision lines to houses and gardens.

Security and Management Issues and Sustainability

As detailed above, public access to the park will be controlled through the Community Centre grounds. The park can be closed separately when required e.g. when it is dark. CCTV cameras can be installed and positioned so as not to overlook the neighbours. Control of the CCTV recorded footage would be with SDA. In practice this would only be accessed following an incident or accident in the park, serious incidents being reviewed by the PSNI.
Fencing will be designed to severely restrict any unauthorised access as will the planting on the railway track. Access from the river boundary is protected by this as well as the industrial site beyond.
Should any misuse of the park become an issue, it will be closed and remedial measures taken to prevent any future abuse.
Maintenance and management of the park will be undertaken by volunteers from the community and it is hoped that this will give a sense of ownership and respect, motivating an ongoing commitment to responsible use and development of the facility.
In the long term, SDA intend to apply for further funding to create a heritage trail which will include explanatory information about past uses of the site for power generation.

Click on the map to see an enlarged version.

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.