Day Four In Who Is The Real Friend Of Victoria Park and The Community Who Use It? Is It Belfast City Council Or George Best Belfast City Airport?

The Palmerston Residents Association has fought long and hard to protect our environment we have saved many trees from destruction. We are looking at three photographs of the path up to the swimming baths that one time stood in all its glory, back then Victoria Park was the only park to have an outside swimming baths in Belfast. Many visitors came from all over Northern Ireland just to try the pool out, our first photograph shows the pathway looking down from the pool as you can see it is now covered with trees and undergrowth, although the view was not always like this there was a lawn and flower beds with a grass bank. It was kept that way because of the airfield and it also gave the park its own sun trap where people young and old would sunbathe. The park in those days was a community park for all the family and young mothers, you would have seen lots of children playing on the grass while their mums where having a picnic on the bank after visiting the swimming pool. Our second photograph shows the other side of the bank where you would have seen young people playing football and cricket this all added to the community feeling the park contributed to the area. The opposing teams at football and cricket made up from different areas of Sydenham all added to the atmosphere of a community. Our third photograph shows the remains of the outdoor swimming pool wall where so many families came for a day out of swimming and picnics. As our photographs show the planting of trees along the pathway and the other side of the bank has removed the community feel to this great park. We feel the council had no plan at all on how to build or upgrade a community park, in the planting of trees it failed to see how it would break up the community feeling the park once had.We see by the planting they would have achieved so much more by including many more species of trees more sympathetic planting would not have caused the problems the council now has, where trees have to be lopped all the time to stop them from interfering with the flight path of the airport. We look at the park and see just how many family and community projects that could take place in the park ,you would have thought we would have had a much more improved park with areas for fun where children could come and play and meet other children. What about an adventure playground and a skateboard facility,the council seems to have lost its way in Victoria Park and missed a great opportunity to help the young people of the area. The council has failed to involve the community in its planning of the park and include the needs of everyone young and old. They need to think about where the park is situated in East Belfast and why the park was built in the first place you would think that Harland And Wolff and Short Brothers and Harland would have given them a clue. The park was built for East Belfast to give its workers and their family’s of the great industries some where they could go and relax and enjoy themselves. The council seems to have missed that vital point,Sydenham is classed as an area at risk it has jumped to this position and is now as bad as it was in North and West Belfast. The Sydenham Area suffers from Anti Social Behaviour, Ill Health,Mental Illness,and Suicide in our young population. The deterioration of Victoria Park has taken a vital link away from our community the council must see that if they close down areas in the park it drives the young people into the streets and then into antisocial behaviour.

Day Two In Who Is The Real Friend Of Victoria Park and The Community Who Use It Is It Belfast City Council Or George Best Belfast City Airport

These are the latest photographs taken by Palmerston Residents Association of Victoria Park and the state of decline it is in. We can see from the first two photographs how the island has washed away with out repair and how the trees on the island are being let fall into the lake because the banks are not being rebuilt.
We can also see in our photographs how the lake is allowed to be infested by rubbish and plastic bags which may result in a hazard to one of our children who may try and remove this bike that looks as though it was dumped sometime ago. Once more the Residents Association has had to come to the aid of this great park.
We ask our councillors how can we gain respect from our younger generation when they see how our council looks after one of our most valuable assets. We hear a lot about our young people and anti social behaviour yet the council lets this happen to one of their historical sites.
How can we expect our young people to have a sense of pride for the park when the council lets it fall into disrepair and locks everything. Every human being uses a toilet we ask who is the real friend of Victoria Park is it the Airport or the Council follow our articles every day this week and we will let you know

Who Is The Real Friend Of Victoria Park and The Community Who Use It Is It Belfast City Council Or George Best Belfast City Airport

The Palmerston Residents Association can report the Council has once more closed the gate to half open as our photograph shows.
This photograph was taken on the 28th September 2008, we had hoped that the Council had at last removed the bar to make access through the gate for the disabled and young mothers with prams much easier.
We can confirm that the Council did open the gate to its full extent until a couple of weeks ago once more we have to ask the question who is the real friend of Victoria Park.
The Council restricts the community the full use of the park and makes it difficult for young mothers with prams and the disabled the right of entry to the Public Park by blocking the gate half open. we can also confirm that the toilet block has now been closed for approximately 13 years and is still locked to the public, even though an offical spoke to the chairmam of the Residents Association in June this year. At the time he stated he would try and do somthing to have the toilets opened but it was all down to the cost of having them cleaned that may stop them from being opened.
We ask the Council what price do they put on our childrens lives when parents have to let their children go to the toilet in the bushes. We have to ask them do they care about our disabled and senior Citizens who also cannot have the use of the toilets.

George Best Belfast City Airport Palmerston Residents Association Chairman Says Thank You To The Chief Executive Brian Ambrose

Terry Hoey Chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association would like to thank George Best Belfast City Airport and the Chief Executive Brian Ambrose and his staff for their time and hospitality given to the members of the Palmerston Residents Association in organising a tour of the airport complex. We also want to say thank you to the Airport Fire Department for taking the to explain the job they do at George Best Belfast City Airport, the major incident plans that are in place and the reassurances they give our members, in the event of any major incident that may take place on any of the approaches to the airport. We would thank the radar room for their time to explain in great detail how they control the flights that approach George Best Belfast City Airport, the management structure that is in place to manage incoming Flights coming up the Belfast Lough approach, we were surprised to see aircraft on the screen that would be landing at Belfast International Airport.  It was fascinating to watch and witness the skill the radar operator had,we  also want to  thank the control tower management in taking time to explain what their job entailed and describe in great detail how they manage the aircraft when landing at the complex. The Residents Association put questions to the management staff of all the departments on issues that were of concern to us, and we thank them for the time they took reassuring our members on how they dealt with their Jobs and responsibilities. We raised concerns regarding the bird population of Victoria Park and how they are managing it, also the larger planes landing and taking off from the airport. We raised concerns regarding signage at the airport and the provision of first aid facilities. we also raised concerns regarding disabled passengers and prayer room provision. The Residents Association met with with Mr Brian Ambrose who give the members of the Residents Association time to ask questions on any issues we had. we discussed aircraft noise, Victoria Park ,a Community fund and how the airport should remember the history that surrounds the site of George Best Belfast City Airport, and how the airport main entrance may be used to depict the history of Short Brothers and Harland by exhibiting the aircraft  Short Brothers and Harland Built and took off from this airport, also the history connected with the RAF in the Second World War. The Residents Association extended an  invitation to Mr Ambrose to attend one of our executive meetings and we are very pleased to say he agreed, I as chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association would once again like to thank Mr Ambrose and his staff for taking the time to meet with us. I can assure the other members of the Residents Association that he give us the time to put any questions to him and he answered them all, his staff escorted us around the complex and listened to all our concerns I would also say thank you to all his staff who escorted us around the complex. This was a very worthwhile visit Many thanks from the members who attended

Chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association Terry Hoey

Members in attendance Tony Gregory, Sam Budde

East Belfast Community Development Agency   Chris Deconnink

Sydenham Community Partnership Members Terry Hoey, Chris Deconnink.

Ashfield Girls School Development Is the Access Road An Accident Just Waiting To Happen? Palmerston Residents Association Feel It Is And Ask The Developers And The Education Board to Look At It Again

This is the access driveway that leads up to the new development at Ashfield Girls High School. The access driveway is used by Ashfield Boys High School you can see by our photo that it is marked as a crossing, it has no traffic lights just small sign to warn drivers that it is a crossing. The Residents Association ask the developers and the Education Board to think again and ask them to install a temporary pelican crossing with flashing lights to warn van and lorry drivers that they are approaching a school crossing. The Residents Association feel this is a matter of urgency before any of the school pupils are knocked down and badly injured or worst of all a fatality. We would also ask them to impose speed restrictions on the driveway in both directions with hazard warning signs on the approach to the crossing that will encourage drivers to approach with caution.

‘Please Act Now’   :We Ask Our MLAs To Act Now and Save This Accident Waiting To Happen:

Smiles Sons Named on Roll of Honour on Belmont Road In East Belfast S. Smiles Lt, and W.A.Smiles Capt, Palmerston Residents Association Say We Must Commemorate This Great Family

These are the names of only a few of the brave men who served voluntarily in the 1914 to 1915 war for King and Country.  The Roll of  Honour shows the names of the sons of one of our great industrialist William Holmes Smiles of Westbank House on the Palmerston Road Sydenham Belfast Northern Ireland. William Holmes Smiles And Gustav Wilhelm Wolff Founded one of the biggest companies in the World The Belfast Rope Works in East Belfast, yet these two men who give so much to Northern Ireland are not Commemorated  anywhere in East Belfast. Gustav Wilhelm Wolff one of the the Founder members With Sir Edward Harland founded the Belfast Shipyard one of the Largest in the World yet these two men are not Commemorated anywhere in East Belfast the home of the Belfast Shipyard and the Belfast Rope Works.  Would it not be fitting to have Gustav Wilhelm Wolff and William Holmes Smiles Commemorated at the sites where they both lived in East Belfast Gustav Wolff The Den Station Road, and William Smiles Palmerston Road. It is a very sad sight to see the sons of William Holmes Smiles on the roll of honour yet know one knows  know their history. We must let them know just how great Northern Ireland was and how many great men actually lived here and who they were and what they did to improve so many lives for the people of Northern Ireland

The Chairman Terry Hoey

The Palmerston Residents Association Smiles And Wolff Campaign

Smiles Campaign Receives another Boost With Support From The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Mr Sammy Douglas MBE The Palmerston Residents Association says thank you

The Palmerston Residents Association would like thank the Democratic Unionist Party and Mr Sammy Douglas MBE for their full support given to our Campaign to have a commemoration for William Holmes Smiles erected on the out side of the new building that now replaces their former home Westbank House on the Palmerston Road Sydenham. The Palmerston Residents Association has been actively involved in trying to persuade the new owners Wesley Housing Association Ltd to have a commemoration for the Smiles Family placed out side their new building, to mark what this great family did for East Belfast and the sacrifice their sons made in the second world war. The Residents Association feel this part of our history must be remembered in a fitting way, and feel Wesley Housing Association Ltd should give back to the people of East Belfast and Northern Ireland part of their true history taken away when the Smiles family home was demolished to make way for their new development. The Residents Association are pleased by the support from the Northern Ireland Assembly Parties in our Campaigns to have both Gustav Wilhelm Wolff and William Holmes Smiles Commemorated. Special thanks to Minster Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party for the support he has given in spot listing The Den on the Station Road the home of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, he has shown how important it is to protect our history for our Children and further generations.

Palmerston Residents Association Commemoration Campaign Says Thank You To CLLr Naomi Long MLA Alliance Party Deputy Leader

 

The Palmerston Residents Association wish to thank Cllr Naomi Long MLA and Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party for Northern Ireland in Her outright support for our Campaign to have a commemoration for the Smiles Family placed outside the new development, which now replaces the home of the one of the founder members of the Belfast Rope Works one of the largest in the world. The Association has been in contact with the new owners of the site Wesley Housing Association Ltd Carrickfergus, in an effort to get them to change their minds on a Commemoration for this great family being placed some where inside the new building. The Association feels this would just not be a suitable Commemoration as it would exclude the public to view it. The Association has always stated that any sort of Commemoration should be placed outside to enable our residents and our children to see the important family’s who lived in our area, and how they were part of Northern Irelands great industrial history as a world leader in Shipbuilders,Aircraft Innovation and Rope Making. The Association looks to its present day Industry to support our Campaign in remembering what achievements were made in Northern Ireland, and bringing them to the fore giving our children a sense of belonging to what was once a great Industrial nation and a part of history that we should encourage them to be proud of, many Thanks Cllr Naomi Long MLA from the Palmerston Residents Association
Chairman Terry Hoey

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