Controversial plans to revamp North Down’s picturesque coastal path have been condemned as ‘vandalism’ and should be withdrawn.
Bangor Central councillor Ray McKimm has this week become the first politician to call for the outright scrapping of the scheme to transform the coastal path into a cycling and walking greenway.
Mr McKimm, who will be standing in the Assembly election in May, has now issued a ‘call to action’ to concerned local residents urging them to back his withdrawal plea.
The councillor is instead calling for an ‘active travel greenway’ to be developed which would be much more sympathetic to the environment and more in keeping with the spirit of the existing coastal path.
The proposal to completely transform the coastal path from Holywood to Bangor and on to Donaghadee – a distance of just over 17 miles – has provoked fierce criticism and the council has bowed to public pressure and agreed to hold another consultation exercise on the scheme.
However, Mr McKimm says he has ‘contacted the Planning Department, and the director who oversees the planning office, to call for the planning application to be withdrawn’.
He has also urged the public to directly contact the Planning Department, calling for the withdrawal of the coastal path’s application that he fears could see the walkway ‘wiped off the face of the earth’.
Plans to host a fresh public consultation into the controversial Kinnegar to Donaghadee Greenway plans were given the green light by the council last month.
The council had been heavily criticised for the manner in which it handled the initial public consultation in the summer of 2019.
Such is the strength of feeling against the proposal to transform the path into a seaside version of the greenways that thousands of people have signed two separate petitions and a new lobbying group – ‘For Another Path’ – has been formed.
In his hard-hitting call for action, Mr McKimm said the plans would ‘vandalise’ the coastal path ‘wiping it off the face of the earth, and replacing it with a four metre wide long straight grey stretch of tarmac’.
He spoke of the coastal path’s importance to local people saying: “I’m sure every resident in North Down is familiar with the coastal path that runs through our area from Holywood to Bangor. It’s beautiful beyond words and holds lots of important memories for so many of us.”
However he said: “Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Community and Wellbeing Directorate are taking the lead in wiping it off the face of the earth.
“When the planning application LA06/2020/0530/F was being developed, the absolute minimum of consultation was conducted by our borough council.
“It was not until the application went on to the (planning) portal that people saw the horror that was involved in four metre wide tarmac paths, trees cut down; and rock armour, involving boulders on the coast to hold up the path.”
Mr McKimm criticised the ‘errors in the actual application’ saying ‘the red lines showing the area to be developed are at times in the wrong place’.
He said: “If that was your application for a new build or a home extension those red line boundaries would be taken much more seriously than they are in this application.”
Following concerns raised by local residents Mr McKimm said: “Just before Christmas I summarised 91 comments into 28 questions for the Director of Community and Wellbeing who is overseeing this application.
“His responses led to a promise that early in the new year there would be community meetings to discuss the application, a dedicated website and consultation with path users. These things have not yet happened.
“As of March 21 there are 553 comments on the planning department website on this application, and 546 letters, by way the largest majority are against the application.”
He said: “Please go to the Northern Ireland Planning portal https://www.planningni.gov.uk /:, click public access; scroll down the page and click on public access website.
“In the box at the bottom of the page type in LA06/2020/0530/F, click on comments and log in to complain about this application. “You can write to Head of Planning: 2 Church Street, Newtownards, County Down, BT23 4AF Or email planning@ardsandnorthdown .gov.uk
Mr McKimm said: “State plainly and politely that you do not approve of this application, that you want it withdrawn, and alternative plans made for an Active Travel Greenway.
“This is your community, this application which will vandalise the coastal path has been made on your behalf. If you are unhappy with this please make your views known using the contact details above.”
