Communities Minister has welcomed a new
placemaking approach for the Greater Shankill area of Belfast
that will allow everyone in the community the chance to have
their say in shaping the physical environment in which they live,
work and come together.
As part of a pilot exercise, his department has commissioned
Hawthorne Consulting Ltd (CARLIN Planning) to deliver the newly
developed ‘Living High Streets Craft Kit', the aim of which is to
help people voice their needs using a series of engagement
sessions to produce a community driven plan for the local area.
This follows on from work undertaken by a group of experienced
community leaders in the Greater Shankill area known as the
‘BUILD' group (Better Understanding in Local Development). BUILD
has been focused on tackling physical dereliction and recently
embarked on a campaign to encourage the development of sites for
housing and community facilities. Members of this group now sit
on the newly established Local Action Group which ensures people
from the area lead the project.
Minister Lyons said: “I am delighted that my department
is supporting the Living High Streets Craft Kit initiative in the
Greater Shankill. It provides a new community-led ‘ground up'
approach to placemaking where local people are the foundation of
any change in their area. It is vital that community needs and
issues are understood so that solutions help their area grow and
thrive.
"The upcoming series of engagement events will invite
conversations on the physical environment where the community
will have the opportunity to discuss their ‘place' and imagine
how it could become better. I would sincerely urge and encourage
the whole community to participate in this process; have your say
on the future of the Greater Shankill.”
The informal sessions will be held throughout the Greater
Shankill area over February and March.
Notes to editors:
- The Living High Streets Craft Kit was developed by the
Ministerial Advisory Group for Architecture and the Built
Environment (MAG) and endorsed by the High Street Task Force in
March 2022. The Greater Shankill is the second pilot area. The
first was completed in Downpatrick in 2023
- Further detail can be found here: MAG Living High Streets -
craft kit | Department for Communities
- The MAG Craft Kit furthers the Department for Communities
purpose of Supporting People, Building Communities and Shaping
Places.
