Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report

 

1.1       The purpose of the report is for Members to consider the naming process for the new park in Colin, being developed under the Urban Villages Programme and a naming process for the new bridge installed at Springfield Dam as part of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway, developed under the Peace IV Shared Spaces theme and the new bridge currently being installed as part of the Lagan Gateway Project.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

 

·        Approve the naming process, in line with current Council policy, for

 

a.      New Park in Colin

b.     New bridge - Springfield Dam

c.      New bridge - Lagan Gateway Project

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       Members are advised that the former Parks & Leisure Committee, at its meeting in August 2008 agreed a policy framework for managing requests to name parks.  

 

3.2       The policy has also previously been used to (re)name a bridge on the Connswater Community Greenway, and follows a 4 stage process;

 

1.      Engagement with key stakeholders to develop a long list of new park names, which reflect;

 

v  a sense of place, reflecting the geographic location, community, neighbourhood or street where the park, facility or amenity is located.

v  the historical significance of the area or reflects unique characteristics of the site (unique flora / fauna).

 

2.      Shortlisted names based on stakeholder feedback and assessed against the policy criteria as outlined above;

3.      Community consultation on the agreed shortlisted names;

4.      Recommendation to People & Communities Committee to reflect preferred name identified via the community consultation.

 

3.3       Names will not be considered which:

 

·        Cause confusion due to duplication or names sounding similar to existing named facilities/locations within the City.

·        Unlawfully discriminate within the meaning and scope of the provisions of

·        Section 75, the Good Relations Plan (2007) and the Shared Future agenda.

·        Are party-political in intention or use.

 

3.4       Members will be aware that a number of new facilities / structures are due to be operationalised over the next number of months, which required to be named or were we have received representation that naming should be considered, these sites / structures are;

 

·        New Park in Colin

·        New Bridge at Springfield Dam

·        New Bridge – Lagan Gateway Project

 

3.5       As each project is at different stages in their development and operate under different governance arrangements, mainly as a result of how the projects are funded, the consideration of naming are at different stages.

 

3.6       Below for Members consideration is the proposed approach, in line with the agreed policy, for the 3 sites / structures detailed above;

 

            New Park in Colin

 

            Background

 

3.7       The Council are currently working in partnership with the Urban Villages Initiative to develop a large scale ‘destination’ park in the Colin area of the city. The new park, which represents an investment of over £4m in the area, will include a new play park, pump track, education zone and extensive new pathways.

 

3.8       Work on the park is currently well underway and completion is planned for June/July this year. As this is a new facility it is now appropriate to name the park.

 

            Naming Process

 

3.9       An initial engagement exercise was carried out with key local stakeholders to develop several options for a name for the new park. The initial, agreed options were:

 

1.      PáircNua Colin

2.      Leap of Faith Park

3.      Sherwood Park

4.      Colin New Park

 

3.10      Following some additional discussion with the Council’s Irish Language Officer, it was agreed to look at adding a further option to this list:

 

5.      PáircNua Chollan

 

3.11      This option represents the ‘full’ Irish translation of the name ‘Colin New Park’, rather than the English/Irish hybrid version represented by option 1 above. It was agreed that offering the

 

3.12      English version of the name alongside an English/Irish hybrid option, whilst not offering a full Irish option, would not represent best practice and could leave the Council open to challenge. The spelling of the name Colin as ‘Chollan’ is also in line with the spelling used in many place names in the Colin area.

 

3.13      The addition of this fifth option has received supported from all the key stakeholders initially engaged to develop the original four options.

 

3.14      In line with the Council’s naming policy, Committee approval is now being sought to carry out a full public consultation around these five naming options. The results of this consultation will then be brought back to Committee seeking approval to select the final name for the park prior to opening

 

            Springfield Dam Bridge

 

            Background

 

3.15      Springfield Dam Park opened to the public in December 2020 following the completion of a major refurbishment which included the installation of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the dam, new walking and cycling pathways, and the creation of a new event space.

 

            An outdoor classroom for schools and community groups was also created, as well as viewing platforms, additional lighting and planting.

 

3.16      Belfast City Council delivered the £1.2 million project with funding from the EU's PEACE IV Programme, as well as Department for Communities who also provided 10 acres of land, including a former cooling dam, for the scheme.

 

3.17      Springfield Dam forms a key milestone in the cross-community Forth Meadow Community Greenway project, a 12 km long greenway which will link communities from North Belfast through the West, into the city centre.

 

            Naming Process

 

3.18      The park itself is known as Springfield Dam Park. However, interest has been expressed in naming the new bridge which has been built across the dam. There are number of workstrands under the Forth Meadow Community Greenway Project which would offer opportunities for local engagement taking forward stage 1 of the (re)naming process. Following on from this the proposed long list will be brought back to Committee for consideration before going out to public consultation to enable the final name to be agreed.

 

            Lagan Gateway Bridge

 

3.19      The Lagan Gateway project proposes a number of structural improvements and development works at Stranmillis including the development of a navigation lock, an iconic foot and cycle bridge, the refurbishment of the existing weir and high quality landscaping with associated path connections. The project will create a connection both on the water and on land by building a navigation lock and a pedestrian/cycle bridge.

 

            Members will have already noted in the previous update report that the new pedestrian and cycle bridge will be fully installed later in Spring. The first section of the bridge has been lifted into place with huge interest of media and general public in February. The Council already received a number of queries regarding the potential naming of the bridge and we would like to give stakeholders an opportunity to suggest a name for this new asset in the area.

 

      The naming process will follow the four stage process as outlined above and include

 

§  2 week consultation period during which stakeholders will have the opportunity to submit ideas for the name of the bridge

§  Following this, a panel of judges will meet to consider the submissions and shortlist a number of potential names against the criteria in the naming policy.  It is proposed that the Panel is made up of Council officers again with Project Board members which will include funding partners

§  Public will then have an opportunity to vote on the shortlisted options. The final bridge name will be determined by the majority vote and will brought back to Committee to be considered for agreement within context of BCC’s naming policy.

 

3.20      As with previous naming processes, communication and advertising will be used to engage and inform the public about the naming process and to ensure that people are aware of the opportunity to submit naming ideas etc.

 

      Financial & Resource Implications

 

3.21      All costs associated with the naming / signage requirements will be picked as part of the overall capital costs associated with each site.

 

      Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

3.2.1     The naming process followed will be in line with the Council’s naming policy and the chosen name will be screened in line with the Council’s equality process.”

 

            The Committee approved the naming process, in line with current Council policy, for the new park in Colin and new bridges at the Springfield Dam and the Lagan Gateway Project.