Levelling up funding for green spaces in Northern Ireland

The Department for Levelling Up has announce £1.3 million to support green spaces in Northern Ireland.

The money will be given to councils to fund 26 projects that involve tree planting, the expansion of cycle paths and trails, and the improvement of play parks.

The funding is part of Northern Ireland’s £127 million share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) that is intended to deliver tangible improvements for local people, with positive impacts on pride in place, local growth and life chances.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison said: "It’s really important that people can take pride in the place they live and have easy access to more green spaces like gardens, play parks, cycle paths and forests.

"This funding is going to all eleven councils in Northern Ireland and will support projects that visibly improve community facilities for everyone. These include a new King’s Garden in Newtownabbey, new paths in Drumcairne and Derrynoyd forests and a restored timber boardwalk at Killyfole Lough.

"I pay tribute to the councils and communities for the imagination and breadth of their ideas, and look forward to seeing them benefit communities for years to come."

£101,395 will go towards the development of a pleasure garden within Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. This is intended to be a tourist attraction at the gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route.

£81,288 will also go towards replacement of obsolete timber walkways at Killyfole Lough, a suite of signage and nature trail interpretation, a biodiversity programme to include education booklets that link to the signage around the Lough and an outdoor classroom in the adjacent ‘Secret Garden’.

£240,367 will be used for the installation of a new path and community garden in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast and to create a learning facility for soil enhancement, food production and testing.

Secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said: "Green spaces are so integral to all communities, and it’s fantastic that every council area across Northern Ireland will benefit from this boost from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

"This investment in community infrastructure will deliver health and wellbeing benefits as well as improving the local environment, and builds on the £71m allocated to community projects across Northern Ireland from round two of the Levelling Up Fund last month."

Image by Lee Osborne from Pixabay