Aontú’s Newry & Armagh Rep, Liam Reichenberg, Expresses Support for the Residents of the Ballybot and Barcroft areas in Calling for Community Consultation on the Future of Raymond McCreesh Park
Liam Reichenberg, Aontu’s Newry & Armagh rep, stated:
In October 2018 NM&D District Council declared the Raymond McCreesh Park as ‘surplus to requirements’. This was despite local support to retain it. A judicial review in 2019 stated that residents would need to be consulted on the future of the playground. This has never happened. Instead, the Council has sought interest in a sale through the ‘D1’ process to government or community bodies, with no interest to date.
Now it has been revealed that a decision was made this month, ‘in confidential session’, at a Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee meeting to continue the D1 process for 6 months and then sell the playground on the open market. Notably, it was proposed by Sinn Fein and seconded by the SDLP. None of this is happening with community consultation as per the judicial review. We would demand that this needs to happen before any such sale. Ten playparks have been declared as surplus assets but only Raymond McCreesh Park has been fast tracked for disposal. Why is this? We are all still waiting for the Newry City Park so it is not a good idea to be selling off any play parks. I would question the logic behind declaring such places surplus to requirements as in this modern day we need more recreational space for people to meet and children to play, not less. Many residents in Ballybot and the Barcroft areas support keeping this park and we support them. Children still play there and it provides a valuable space for community activities.
There is a suspicion that the council is looking to sell off assets to help pay for questionable projects such as the proposed Newry Civic Hub. There was consultation on that proposal but the negative response is being ignored. Perhaps it is because they do not have the people with them on so many issues that the Council decides so many things behind closed doors. This is not good for transparent democracy
ENDS
CLANRYE NEWS 