Last updated: October 2021
An environmental improvement programme has helped to clean up a previously derelict plot of land on one of Belfast’s main thoroughfares, by transforming it into a community garden. A vegetable garden was officially launched in July 2009 at Walkway Community Association, on Finvoy Street in east Belfast. The scheme is part of Belfast City Council’s ongoing £150 million Investment Programme of work across the city. (Ref 1, Ref 5)
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/grant-helps-new-community-garden-28485983.html
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
1. To develop meanwhile uses on derelict land on the Newtownards Road (Ref 1)
2. create a positive impact on the local physical environment and neighbourhood (Ref 1).
3. demonstrate the value of investing in and developing the capacity of local people in delivering their vision of derelict space and place, to a valuable community resource/asset. (Ref 2)
Implementation activities
1. The project saw a previously derelict plot of land transformed into a new community space. ( Ref 4)
2. The Walkway Community Garden, includes a greenhouse, raised beds, seating and decking. (Ref 1)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Public sector institution
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Citizens or community group
- Other
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Council worked in partnership with the Department for Social Development and the East Belfast Partnership to implement the project. Walkway Community Association works with the community garden activities and community participation. Groundwork NI supported the local people by providing landscape technical assistance, facilitating a community-led design process, implementing physical regeneration works. (Ref 1)
The project was a partnership between Groundwork NI and the two principal funders, namely Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The project was carried out out through a grant of just under £20,000 from Groundwork NI’s Greencare III Programme. (Ref 5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Belfast city council's environmental improvement programme : "Renewing the Routes" under the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan
(BMAP) 2005. (Ref 3))
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref. 1. Active Belfast (2012) Growing Communities: A Citywide Strategy for Belfast 2012 – 2022. Source: Source link [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 2. Belfast City Council. 2015. New community garden brings derelict site to life. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 3. Belfast City Council. nd. Renewing the Routes. Source: Source link [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Totalis solutions. (2015) Urban Regeneration. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 5. Belfast Telegraph. (2009) Grant helps new community garden. Source: Source link [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 2. Belfast City Council. 2015. New community garden brings derelict site to life. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 3. Belfast City Council. nd. Renewing the Routes. Source: Source link [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Totalis solutions. (2015) Urban Regeneration. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 5. Belfast Telegraph. (2009) Grant helps new community garden. Source: Source link [Accessed 22 September 2020]