Funding for new greening of local alleyways drive

The potential funding for the Council is expected to be around £100,000, allowing a minimum of four projects per DEA to be supported based on a maximum grant value of £3,500 per applicant.

Described by Sinn Fein Colr Christopher Jackson as a ‘step in the right direction’, the available budget is such that it will only be able to support modest environmental improvements to alleys and green spaces such as planting, landscaping, tidying-up, painting, new boundary treatments etc. 

Colr Jackson said: “It goes nowhere near what is required to address the issues. This isn’t going to solve all the issues we are experiencing in our alleyways but it is a step in the right direction. This isn’t going to be the silver bullet we hoped it was going to be.”

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey agreed adding: “We have to be realistic, £3,500 isn’t going to have a big impact on some areas.”

SDLP Councillor John Boyle proposed a working group was set up to assess the criteria and how the scheme is progressed.

Alderman Hussey seconded the proposal adding: “This isn’t an attempt to kick this can down the road, what we want is a real working group, a task and finish group, let’s get this sorted and get it on the ground.”

Members agreed unanimously to set up the working group as soon as possible.