For many years now, residents within the many streets surrounding Belfast’s Glassmullin green have been fighting for its survival.
Historically, the space was occupied by British crown forces in what was then called ‘silver city’, an indomitable fortress that overlooked the daily lives of those who lived in its shadow. Republicans supported residents back then too, as they fought to retain their community green.
Nowadays, the crown forces have given way to a local school. De La Salle plans to rip up this free community space, erect high fencing, and install a ‘pay-to-play’ football pitch that will provide profit to a private company, and with it, increased noise, light and air pollution.
The already beleaguered principal of the school seeks to do this against the will of their neighbours – the residents; intending to push through the development at any cost. And as the diggers and developers rolled into the site in recent days, the residents had other ideas.
As workers moved to fence off the site, planting tall wooden poles along its perimeter, they arrived the following few mornings to find them continually uprooted – an indication that residents may not take this forced development lying down. Some residents now occupy the site in a make-shift camp, as others organise ongoing community events, protests and assemblies.
Why is all this important?
Besides Glassmullin being the last decent bit of green space in the community, one which residents are clearly willing to fight for, there is a bigger issue at play here – consultation.
For too long now political parties, completely and emotionally detached from the communities they are supposed to represent, plough ahead with projects and budgets and ‘the next big thing’ to fill their glossy leaflets come election time. Casement Park being one such example, a debacle years in the making.
Another? Lenadoon’s Carrigart Flats – ‘millions’ in investment according to some party-political election leaflets for what turned out to be some new bin sheds, paint and landscaping. And whilst some meaningful construction work was carried out, the complete lack of effective consultation with those who mattered meant that residents voices were not heard. What followed was a significant campaign for the installation of gas heating to replace old and ineffective Economy 7 units and a hard fought for victory for residents.
Another? A similar pitch built in Falls Park in recent years, one which locals said wasn’t needed. The outcome? Locals ignored, massive budget spent, pitch next to never used.
If those political parties, with their significant resources and supposed levels of support had actually engaged with the residents and used the various means at their disposal, then the diggers would not have even made it onto the field. If the school had not continually ‘liaised’ with the PSNI against the residents best intentions then the campaign could well be in a different place now.
Times are hard, our children suffer from increased levels of poverty, our schools are fighting for funding, and political parties have all sorts of cash to throw about on projects which, without proper and effective community consultation, amount to nothing but attempts to grab votes by spending your taxes.
The real issue at hand here is not just Glassmullin Green – it’s democratic outcomes controlled by those that matter most – the community.
Save Glassmullin Green.
