The £257,000.00 environmental improvement scheme included the planting of 143 trees along the frontages of the Falls Road and 60 trees on the Grosvenor Road, all with ornamental tree guards. The scheme was completed in partnership with Belfast City Council with support from Roads Service.
Planting the final tree to mark the scheme’s completion, Margaret Ritchie said: “I am committed to improving the environment and image of our most deprived neighbourhoods. The completion of this significant tree planting scheme has brought about much needed environmental improvements to the Falls Road and Grosvenor Road. This project, on both of these busy routes within the city, has created a more attractive environment for residents and businesses.
“These projects provide excellent examples of what can be achieved by partnership working between my department, Belfast City Council and other statutory agencies, and local communities.”
The Lord Mayor, Tom Hartley said: “I would like to congratulate those involved in this environmental improvement scheme. The council, through working in partnership with Belfast Regeneration Office, has ensured that the regeneration of these areas continues to represent one of our key priorities. Not only will the planting of these trees help to create a more pleasant environment for local residents, they should also serve to promote economic investment in the area by improving the image of the neighbourhood in the long-term.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Falls Road and Grosvenor Road are the city’s main arterial routes linking West Belfast to Belfast City Centre.
2. Falls Road and Grosvenor Road are located within the Lower Falls/Clonard Neighbourhood Renewal Area and also within the Crumlin and Shankill electoral wards which are recognised as being within the top 10% of most deprived wards in Northern Ireland.
3. The planting of trees in urban areas is widely accepted as being of aesthetic, economic, environmental and social benefit, via
- Carbon sequestration and the production of oxygen (in the process of photosynthesis);
- The reduction of air pollutants - this is of particular importance to people suffering from respiratory ailments and to children growing up in these environments;
- Noise reduction;
- Reducing the ‘wind tunnel’ effect of streets by acting as wind breaks; and
- The reduction in ground water run-off which reduces the risk of flooding.
4. The department recognises the important aesthetic, economic, environmental and social contribution that trees make and therefore has initiated a series of tree planting schemes across Belfast. The chosen species of tree differs based on the characteristics of each neighbourhood, but include Birch, Lime, Hornbeam, Maple, Ornamental Pear and Prunus Cherry
5. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives:
- Community Renewal – to develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas;
- Economic Renewal – to develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider urban economy;
- Social Renewal – to improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments;
- Physical Renewal – to help create attractive, safe and sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
6. News Media enquiries to DSD Press Office on 028 9082 9496 or out-of-hours call the EIS Duty Press Officer on 07699 715 440.
