We Dont Want This Development On Our Door Steps

It seems that no one is hearing us and don't seem to care what we think about this planned development and how we feel to have our homes that we have lived in for many years without any threat to to us,we have put up wit many issues like parking but we don't mind that as it is neighbours and friends calling to visit someone we know and other neighbours understand  this also but when we have a development of apartment's being built on a site were only a single house now stands it seems the Planning Services are not doing there job.

The Northern Planning service has received some 46 objections to this development and have also had meetings with residents and MLAs all giving concerns about this development yet they seem to be hell bent on going ahead and letting this development go head just what dose it take for the Northern Ireland Planning Service to act in the good of the residents who have lived in the area for many years,they seem to try and make its decisions in favor of the developers all the time we must ask the question as to why they do this when residents follow the Planning Services own rules regarding Developments.

The need to for the assembly to have a full and open inquiry into how the planning services make and reaches its decisions needs to be carried out as soon as possible it seems that they are passing the parcel between the council and them selves, the need for full openness needs to be introduced into how decision's are reached and how peoples view's are taken into account when residents take time to sent letters in of their objections who looks at them,what action is taken to take into account their concerns and objections,who gives the final decision to let the developments go ahead,what redress  can the residents get at the ballot box if councillors go back on their word by changing support in favour of the developer

As the system is stacked against private residents in favour of the developers changes have to be made to the law to stop the wholesale destruction of areas that people has invested their money and their life savings theses residents just want the same respect given to social housing tenant's to be able to choose what is built in their areas its is known by many government's and local councils that high rise and apartment's don't work for many reasons so why is private tenant's being forced to accept them.
The need for a more fairer system is need for the private sector were developments are zoned in away that developments must suit the area and decision are reached by full involvement of the local residents with in the area.

The rights of private residents seem to be trampled in to the ground without anyone being able to help them as in Denorrton Park a residents rights seem to be trampled in to the ground with this development he bought his home because he felt his family would be safe and his children would also be safe,but if this development gets the green light this will change for him and his family,the Planning Service And Roads Service can talk about lay lines all they want but they don't seem to care or listen to this resident that when he bought his home he bought it so his family would be safe he seen no threat to them as there was a garden and a home next to him on either side but if this development gets the green light this will all change for him his home will no longer be the same as this plan involves the demolition of the next door house and the safe garden turned into a drive way for the residents of the apartments his children will not be safe as they will have cars and delivery vehicles driving up and down where once was a garden not only will they have to cope with this there garden that they use to play in and have family members down for BBQ will be overlooked by apartments.

Where is this residents rights where is his children's rights they don't seem to mater to anyone it seems no one cares that this person and his family are going to have their lives turned upside down and the worry this family will have if this development gets the green light is not justified they don't want this development and I see why I also see that our Councillors and our MLAS should be standing up for their rights and for their children's rights to live in a safe place and to be able to live in peace this will not happen if this development gets the green light it is not that this family is against development they see no problem with a single dwelling being built but to build apartment's that will bring dangers to this family that up to now never had to face or even think about We Ask Where Is Their Rights And Who Is Protecting Them?

Trees That Have Been Here For Two Hundred Years Are Now Under Threat Of The ECO- Apartments Benig Planned By LIMETREE RETIREMENT HOMES.

Limetree Retirement Homes is planning to build ECO- Apartments at 18 Denorrton Park Holywood Road we have seen many apartments being built but none like this the claim that these will be ECO-Friendly are by far a joke,in the way plans have been amended to remove trees and green way is far from being anything but ECO friendly in the way local residents has had to fight their every move to try and have this development stopped.

The residents have for a long time had to deal with parking issues in their quiet street and the thought of more cars being brought into the area is just a nightmare for them the plan includes the demolition of a corner house to enable Limetree to put a driveway through to the apartments that they are planning to build,the need for Limetree to speak with the residents of Denorrton Park has not been proposed by Limetree they just seem to want to walk over people who have lived in Denorrton Park for many years.

It seems that no one cares how people feel we are told by our planning service that contacts have been made with the residents but that seems to be a total waste of time as the residents views don't seem to matter when it comes to developments being planned and built the views of residents who have lived in the area that are being affected does not count for anything the Northern Ireland Planning Service seem to be on the side of the Developers all the time no matter what the consequences are for the area or the residents who live in it.

Northern Ireland seems to favour the Developer and our councils and MLAs seem to go along with what is happening instead of them changing policy they seem just to pass the problem on to different departments and end up doing nothing to stop the destruction of an area,yet it seems that they as law makers can do nothing and powerless to halt what is going on.yet in other parts of the UK and Ireland they would not let happen what is happening in Northern Ireland.

Residents rights are being walked over and its being called progress yet we see areas like Denorrton Park being changed for ever just to please the planners and the developers Northern Ireland  needs to stop this sleep walking and wake up and see just what is going on in our towns and suburbs before all our built heritage is wiped off the map just to give developers a cash windfall, when do we say no to planners when do we see our MLAs and councilors changing the planning laws to protect our areas and residents homes when do we see our assembly making laws to encourage developers to think about other options other than demolition of properties or to preserving them.

The Planning service must be accountable to someone in the decisions it makes it can not look at a plan and say this will work without going out and seeing an area and listening to the people who live in it they can not carry out a survey from their office desk,the need for them to view the site is important and to look at the areas that could be wrecked if the development was to go ahead the need for control in the planning service is vital and the need to protect our environment for are children is vital.

Our MLAs and our Councilors should be held to account if this development is given the green light it is not good enough for Limetree to say that these apartments are being retirement apartments when their plans  clearly show they intend to destroy the habitat that has taken years to grow it is not good enough to amend  plans by removing habitat and wildlife and then claim they are ECO Friendly when clearly they will be destroying local habitat to shoehorn apartments into a site that is not suitable for this type of development our MLAs and Councilors must step in and fight to protect the habitat and the only piece of green belt that is left in the Sydenham Area.

Green Issues are fought for all over Europe but once more we see Northern Ireland seems not to care about green issues we see residents taking time to protect trees and habitat in an area by going to the planning service to deem them protected yet they tell you that this will not stop them from being cut down surely this is a nonsense of trying to protect any habitat  when a law that residents try to use has no teeth once more Northern Ireland's Assembly should be protecting the green spaces for our children and making laws that discourage developers from destroying local habit without looking at it and using it to
enhance the development.

Laws that protect green spaces are not new they are made in every other country in Europe and the united states yet our MLAs and Councilors seem to be walking round with blinkers on regarding this important issue maybe if it affected them at the ballot box they would pay more attention and listen more to the residents that they have been elected to serve the need for them to stand up and be counted in issues like this should be looked at by residents as a vote winner or as a vote loser many residents must be looked at as people who have invested a lot of money into their homes and have chosen to live were they are, residents have and must have the same rights that is granted to others simply to be ask what they want in their areas and their answers to be listened to

Laws are made to protect and to safe guard the rights of others we in Northern Ireland seem to walk over the basic right of living where you want and to live in peace but our laws don't seem to protect residents who have chosen where they want to live and have invested lots of money in their homes only to see it destroyed at will without protection that is given to others the protection of private residents needs to be looked at and overhauled and need to be weighted in favour of the residents who already live in an area the planning service must be held to account in the decisions it makes and the old mantra that its not the planning service makes the decision its the councilors and the councilors say its not the councilors its the planning service.

Like the residents of Dennorton Park its their rights that seem to have been walked over departments seem not to want to listen to them on a basic issue like the right to live in peace and the right to live where they want without the threat of their habitat being changed at will without any sort of protection being granted to them or even given the right to consult with the developers who are planning to change their area for ever

Palmerston Road And Denorrton Park Under Threat

Palmerston Road Sydenham in East Belfast is once more being held under threat of the Developers once more we have to fight to try and save our green belt that runs from the top of the Palmerston Road to the Station Road we have Developers trying to erect apartments behind homes causing fear among the residents that their homes would be over looked or that water pipes in the area could not cope with waste as the water system is the same as it was many years ago. But the Developers are back once more trying to build apartments on the only part of green belt thats left in the area of Sydenham this is not any other green belt it forms a valley of trees wildlife bats birds the habitat has taken years to grow and some of the trees that are under threat are two hundred years old and the Developers claim the apartments they are planning will be echo friendly yet if they are built with the present planning application it will wipe out a area that has trees of two hundred years old and it will cause the biggest ever change to an area like sydenham that could never be put right as the trees are part of the fibre of Sydenham and the Valley is known in the area as Bunkers Hill after the American War when a soldier returning from that war at Bunkers Hill in American named it after the battle ,They also claim these apartments will be echo friendly yet the plans they are proposing has cut out most of the aspects of the gardens and trees and also removed disabled parking and cycle racks and they claim to be building them for people who have retired
To claim they are eco friendly is a joke when they are planning so much destruction of part of our green belt they seem not to care about what the residents in the area want they dont care about how the residents feel about the private driveway they have planned for the entrance of the site they seem to don't want to listen to peoples concerns many of the people have lived in their homes for many years the site entrance is on to Denorrton Park it is not on a major road it is only a side street of the major Holywood Road that has enough problems with parking and cars parking on the footpaths this Development will bring more traffic to this very quite street and will add to the problems for the residents of the park.
Northern Ireland Planning Service should step back and learn the mistakes from the past the need for them to listen to local residents who already live in the area should have protection from developments like this, when the planning office must see that this development is being shoehorned into a site that is far from suitable and the planning service know the feeling of the residents in Denorrton Park they also seem to have forget to ask the residents of the Palmerston Road how they feel about this development as it will mean overlooking issues Bunkers hill looks over the Palmerston Road and any development would cause major problems for them but the Planning Service seem not to care about the feeling of residents on the Palmerston Road that such a major change to the habitat is being railroaded through behind their backs and have not any say in what may cause major problems in the future for them as well as make a difference in how they feel living in an area that trees will be replaced with apartment blocks and their privacy will be compromised by this development and the opening of the floodgates to other developers moving into the area offering huge amounts of money to residents to move out. To enable them to build more apartments because the Northern Ireland Planning Service can not protect or preserve the heritage of the residents who have lived in the area and bring their children up in the homes it will cause a huge change for the residents they will be expected to live with overlooking issues where once their homes looked out on a hill covered in green habitat and if the flood gates open it will mean for the residents that apartments will take the place of homes and mean people looking down on them day and night
We ask the Northern Ireland Planning Service to look after the rights of the residents from the Palmerston Road who's privacy is being compromised if the Northern Ireland Planning Service do not stand up for their rights of privacy it would be a great miss justice to them we ask the Northern Ireland Planning Service to carry out a proper survey in the area to include residents from Denorrton Park,Palmerston Road,Larkfield Park,Palmerston Park,Victoria Road,all residents that would be affected if this green belt was removed to make way for developments if the flood gates were to open causing a domino effect along this only part of green belt that is left in the Sydenham Area that is so important to the residents
We ask Harry Roston Architect Ltd and Limetree Retirement Homes to meet the residents of the area and give them their chance to speak with the reps in the area before these amended plans are put in place and action taken to start any development at this site some of our residents are in their retirement and have lived in the area for most of their married life or it is married children of the retired please think of how this development and any future developments would have on their lives
,