Lyons welcomes launch of Shankill: A Plan to Grow
Date published:
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed the launch of a new plan to support the growth of the Greater Shankill area in Belfast.
Shankill: A Plan to Grow brought together local residents, community groups, and statutory agencies including the Department for Communities, Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; utilising the newly developed Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) Living Highstreets Craft kit to produce a community-led plan for the area, thereby enabling the local community to have their say in shaping the physical environment in which they live, work and come together
This work followed that undertaken by the ‘BUILD’ group (Better Understanding in Local Development), made up of community leaders in the Greater Shankill area. The group focuses on tackling physical dereliction and campaigns for the development of sites for housing and community facilities in the area. Members of BUILD also now lead the ‘Local Action Group,’ which helps deliver actions produced by the Shankill: A Plan to Grow.
Minister Lyons said:
“I am pleased my department has supported the delivery of the Shankill: A Plan to Grow. This is a genuine community-led approach to placemaking, ensuring that local people are at the heart of shaping change in their area. With strong community leadership, committed partners, and a clear vision for the future, the Greater Shankill is well positioned to build a more sustainable, resilient and thriving community.”
Billy Drummond from the Shankill Local Action Group said:
“The Shankill Plan Grow report is a key milestone for BUILD Shankill in lobbying for physical regeneration and investment in the Greater Shankill. Through the DfC CraftKit process we have consulted extensively across all our neighbourhoods to inform this community led Plan. The essential part of any plan is delivery, and we look forward to our continued work with statutory partners to address the challenges and seize the opportunities that this plan sets out.”
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly, said:
“It’s wonderful to see the level of community leadership and the partnership approach demonstrated in Shankill: A Plan to Grow. As a council, we’re committed to making Belfast a great place to live and work for everyone. We’ve been supportive of the ambition and approach adopted to developing this cohesive, pragmatic plan, which will make an important contribution to improving residents’ quality of life.”
Housing Executive Chief Executive Grainia Long, said;
“This type of community development activity is inspiring and the level of collaboration taking place is an excellent model for future work. We wish the Shankill community every success on their journey and we will continue to use our expertise to help facilitate positive activity in the time ahead.”
Shankill: A Plan to Grow can be found on the website.
Notes to editors:
- Photo caption (l to r) : Billy Drummond, Shankill Local Action Group; Housing Executive Chief Executive, Grainia Long; Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA; Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Tracy Kelly; Chief Executive Belfast City Council, John Walsh.
- Following an extensive community engagement programme, 5 strategic objectives, supported by 21 strategies and 64 actions have been developed as part of the Shankill: A Plan to Grow.
- The ‘MAG Living High Streets Craft Kit’ was developed as a resource to help communities develop a shared understanding of their needs and assets. It uses a series of community workshops and specific questions to guide conversations about shaping the future High Street to produce a co-designed Framework.
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