Greenways
As part of its Community Plan, Mid and East Antrim Council has set high-level objectives to improve health and wellbeing of residents and improve access to safe, clean and vibrant places, including parks and open spaces.
Work undertaken in the Mid and East Antrim area has indicated a desire to explore the potential to create a number of greenways in this area.
In March of this year Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in partnership with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, submitted a feasibility study to the Department for Infrastructure as part of a small grants scheme to explore the development of greenways throughout Northern Ireland. In the document, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council set out a proposal to bring back into use the disused 2.7km section of railway line between Greenisland and Monkstown as a greenway which can be enjoyed by the many residents who live nearby. As part of the feasibility study Mid and East Antrim Borough Council set out how it planned to engage with key parties at the next stage in the small grants process, if successful.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council followed the process as set out by DfI, as did Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in their feasibility study for the proposed Doagh to Larne railway, which Mid and East Antrim Borough Council contributed to.
Mid and East Antrim are now one of only 3 local authorities to have been granted up to £25,000 to complete a fully worked up greenway project bid. The Council have engaged Doran Consulting to assist with this piece of work.
An important aspect of this current piece of work is to engage with key individuals. Nearby residents, and anyone with an interest in the proposed greenway are invited to attend one of our public drop-in sessions planned for early February.
Work is underway to identify a number of dates and venues to enable as many people as possible to call in to find out more about the feasibility studies to date. Further dates are planned in order to provide more detail as the consultants complete more assessments of the works potentially required to bring the track into use.
- Greenisland Greenway Feasibility Study (pdf 3 MB)
- Greenisland Greenway Map Appendix IV (pdf 3 MB)