WALL OVER FOR CITY’S PEACE LINE

Barrier is dismantled after 28 years

THE removal of a security wall is a “significant milestone” towards a positive future, it was claimed yesterday.

The three-metre barrier which divides Springfield Road and Springhill Avenue in West Belfast, is being dismantled after separating the community for nearly three decades.

It was erected in 1989 to provide extra protection to residents and New Barnsley police station.

Transformation work on the site will include environmental improvements around the land next to two derelict houses and new community artwork.

Seamus Corr, who is co-ordinating the Black Mountain Shared Spaces Project, said: “The removal of the barrier is a significant step forward.

“This is about more than just changing the physical look of this area, it shows communities are willing, with support, to work towards positive change.

“The removal of a wall is not a starting or an end point, but a significant milestone on the journey to a positive future.”

The community-led decision to remove the wall followed relationship building initiatives facilitated by the Black Mountain Shared Spaces Project with support from the International Fund for Ireland, the Department of Justice and the Housing Executive.

The project received financial assistance from the International Fund for Ireland’s Peace Walls Programme.

Chairman Dr Adrian Johnston said: “There should be no place for physical separation barriers in a truly reconciled society. While we have not yet reached that stage, the community-led decision to remove this division demonstrates a desire for change.

“The decision to remove the wall and the alterations that are taking place illustrate what can be achieved with strong local leadership and by fully engaging those who live next to physical barriers.

“The vast majority of barriers are located within communities that continue to suffer disproportionately due to the conflict and the risks associated with removal lie almost exclusively with the residents and communities most impacted by their presence.

“Through our Peace Walls Programme, Black mountain Shared Spaces Project has worked with local residents to envisage a positive future and collectively enable this project to be delivered.”

A spokesman for the Department of Justice added: “We support the progress made at Springhill Avenue and recognise the significance of this work.

“It demonstrates what can be achieved when community and statutory organisations work together to build confidence within communities. We will continue to support those groups who are seeking to remove such remnants of our divided past.”

Housing Executive Housing Services Manager Paddy Kelly said seeing one of Belfast’s interface barriers coming down was a “very welcome step”.

He said: “We were pleased to be involved and it is great see collaborative working with a range of partners making such an impact.”