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.