Belfast Residents Asked About Extended Opening Hours for City Parks

Belfast: The city is buzzing with talk about park hours. Belfast City Council wants to hear from locals about extending the opening times for the new Forth Meadow Greenway and four major parks.

They’re reaching out to residents and users to gather opinions on how late these parks should stay open. Next month, they’ll dive deeper into this with consultations for Ormeau Park, Falls Park, Woodvale Park, and Belmont Park.

The Forth Meadow Greenway is a 12km stretch that connects various green spaces in north and west Belfast. It’s got lighting along the main route, which means it could potentially be open 24/7. Right now, though, the gates only open from dawn to dusk.

This consultation is all about figuring out if longer hours make sense and what local factors might play a role. They’ll focus on access points in four sections of the greenway, looking to gather community feedback.

Once they collect all the views, they’ll present the findings to elected officials in the spring. If they get the green light, a one-year trial could kick off, followed by another round of consultations to finalize decisions.

To keep everyone safe, they’ll also set up a closure protocol with the PSNI, allowing for gate closures based on security needs. Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts during the consultation, which runs until February 12.

There will also be in-person info sessions at local community centers, so folks can drop by and chat about it.

Back in 2020, there was a plan for a pilot program to explore 24-hour summer openings at three parks, but that got sidelined due to COVID. A trial did happen at Botanic Gardens, but it faced some issues with antisocial behavior.

For the upcoming consultations, there’ll be an online survey and drop-in sessions promoted through social media and local posters. The council is keen to get input from community stakeholders and the PSNI.

The online survey will run from February 3 to March 5, with several drop-in sessions scheduled at different parks. They’re also looking at lighting options for Ormeau and Belmont parks, which currently lack sufficient lighting.

This is a great chance to gather community views on park lighting and extended hours. The results will help shape any future development plans and ecological studies for the parks.

For the latest updates, check out the Belfast Live homepage and sign up for their newsletter.