Issue 206 - North Down BT18 •BT19 • BT20 • BT21
Construction begins on Ards to Bangor Greenway
Ards and North Down Borough Council is delighted to confirm that work ‘on the ground’ on the new Newtownards to Bangor (Green Road) Greenway has started.
Year 6 students Hannah and Riley plant a tree in Linear Park with the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart. (Image: Graham Baalham-Curry)
Primary School Students Create New Community Orchard in Bangor’s Linear Park
Students from Ballymagee Primary School and Kilmaine Primary School were joined by the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, in Bangor’s Linear Park where they planted 50 new fruit trees. As part of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s commitment to successfully implement the Tree and Woodland Strategy, Council Officers aim to identify three locations across the Borough every year for a new community orchard. This year, Linear Park was identified as one of those locations and to celebrate
National Tree Week, Year 6 students from both schools planted 50 trees. The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, said: “Community orchards are an excellent place for people to come together. They provide a space for celebrations, are a source of food, and they can be used
as educational resource for local schools, community groups and the wider public. Bangor’s Linear Park is a beautiful, peaceful area and I was delighted to help the children who were full of infectious enthusiasm in creating this new orchard.” Orchards can encourage healthy eating and entice
more people to enjoy outdoor activities, helping to improve wellbeing, while also making towns, villages and neighbourhoods more pleasant places to live. For more information, visit www. ardsandnorthdown.gov. u k / S TA N D 4 T R E E S or email ANDparks@ ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk.
The 5.4km route will help to better connect the town of Newtownards with the city of Bangor by providing a new safe route for those who want to walk, wheel or cycle. It is anticipated that it will be popular with leisure users e.g. those wanting to undertake exercise or to access Whitespots Country Park/ Ark Farm, as well as those who are commuting to work or place of study e.g. South East Regional College (Ards). The route is being progressed in two stages, both of which will be delivered by contractor Charles Brand Limited. These are: Newtownards to the Somme Museum. The route will begin at Belvedere Road, Newtownards and follow the former railway track, in the most part, to the Somme Museum. Somme Museum to Green
Road Bangor. This route will pass the Ark Open Farm and then turn off-road in a northeasterly direction following the former railway line and field boundaries, in the most part, to Green Road, Bangor. The new Greenway includes three and four-metre-wide paths, pedestrian/cycle railing, fencing, lighting and planting. Construction is expected to take around 12 months. The scheme represents an investment of £5.6M in green infrastructure in Ards and North Down and is being funded by the Department for Infrastructure, the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund and the Council. For more information on greenways in Ards and North Down, visit www. ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/ greenways.