Lower Shankill Rallies Minister for Real Community Participation (10th July 2009)

On 10th July 2009, residents, community organisations, churches and businesses from the Lower Shankill staged a rally outside the Department for Social Developments (DSD) offices.

The group resubmitted a request to the Minister for Social Development, urgently calling for the regeneration process for their community to be paused until residents and community stakeholders can meaningfully take part in public decisions about problems that need to be addressed and which plans are developed.

Ian McLaughlin, a member of the Lower Shankill Regeneration Board, explains why the group has felt it
necessary to organise the rally;

The Minister for Social Development has a real opportunity to do this regeneration right, but the
exclusion of the local community so far has been astounding. Two weeks ago, a coalition of local groups
sent a letter to Margaret Ritchie raising concerns about the redevelopment and suggesting specific steps she could take to spend public money more effectively and to address community need.




Unfortunately, we received a response which has failed to respond to any of our concerns or requests. It implies we should simply trust the Department and its development plans.

Ian continues; We feel this is totally unsatisfactory and have decided to re-submit the letter which will be delivered as part of a rally at the DSD offices. We would like specific responses to our requests this time from the Minister herself. We want to make sure the regeneration of our community improves our future and our childrens future and that wont happen unless residents are able to properly take part in decisions about the plan in line with local and international law.

Download a copy of the full press release at: http://is.gd/1BYMa

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Lower
• Shankill
• PPR
• Regeneration
• Project
• Participation
• human
• rights
• accountability
• project
• belfast
• housing
• health
• education
• public
• procurement
• urban
• redevelopment
• northern
• ireland

[phoenix1916]

@sinnfeinmurderers Idiot!!

[phoenix1916]

probably afraid the taigs are gonna move in!!

[MrOzanachronism]

I had a recent tour of the Shankill on Google maps street view. What happened to the UYM/UDA Murals? It's all fenced off for the redevelopment. The Yuppies are coming to the lower Shankill. What is the world coming to? Amazing how many changes there are on the Shankill in the 5 years since my last time in Belfast.

[sinnfeinmurderers]

Appartments are now going ahead istead of social housing that was their to begin with its developers GREED