ADVENTURE PARK ON OLD LANDFILL SITE 'LONG OVERDUE'

Residents in north Belfast have said the redevelopment of the site of Belfast's former city dump is long overdue.

An adventure park and nature sanctuary are to be developed on the former landfill site on Dargan Road as part of a wider regeneration of the area.

An agreement has been signed by the city council and developer Giant's Park Belfast Ltd.

New uses for the 250 acre site on the north foreshore of Belfast Lough have been planned since the landfill site closed in 2007.

A film studio is already operating on a small portion of the site.

'Economic benefit to the city'

The proposed park will cover about 160 acres with construction potentially beginning later this year, subject to planning permission.

Lord Mayor Councillor Micky Murray said: "The Giant's Park announcement is a huge boost for Belfast given the scale of the investment involved and the number of jobs that will be created, both during construction and upon completion.

"The project also represents a major boost to our tourism industry which is now contributing greater economic benefit to the city than in pre-Covid times."

Giant's Park Belfast Ltd is controlled by the developer Kevin McKay who said the scheme will balance the adventure park with "the careful management of the surrounding ecological environment."

He added it would mean public access to that part of the coast for the first time in over 60 years.

The remaining 90 acres of the site is expected to be developed for distribution and logistics hubs and other commercial uses.

Long overdue

On the nearby Shore Road a number of residents have said they remember when plans for the adventure park were first touted in 2007, but thought they'd been long forgotten.

A number of them have welcomed the announcement, but have said it is long overdue.

"The last big thing built in this area was the Grove Leisure Centre, and that was about 20 years ago" said Gina Crozier who lives on the Shore Road with her family.

"There's nothing around here, particularly for the young ones" she said.

"But it'll be great when it’s built," she added.

'Great' to see space being used

Both Ms Crozier and Gena McNeice said they were worried about taking children across on foot.

The only pedestrian route from the Shore Road to the site is by via an access road for the M2 motorway which involves crossing the entrance to the slip road.

Ms Crozier said good access would be needed.

Leanne Armstrong has a son with special needs and said she believed there was little provision for young people like him in the areas.

"Most of the facilities I take my son too are in south Belfast or other parts of the city" she said.

Claire Cunningham said she was pleased with the news.

"I think it would be great cause its such an expansive space.

"It's wasted that it's not being used as a public space," she added.

2025-01-16T08:26:57Z