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Urban Renewal
Rationale and Background
In January 2003 Strabane LSP agreed to implement Measure 2.11, on behalf of the Department for Social Development, in the Strabane East Ward area. This measure presents a focused approach to the distinctive social and economic problems presented by urban neighbourhoods and estates with the highest degree of deprivation. The Measure’s primary purpose is to effect regeneration at the neighbourhood level using a Neighbourhood Partnership approach, which will help to achieve higher and more meaningful levels of cross-community participation in the regeneration of urban neighbourhoods, affected by the conflict.
Neighbourhood Partnership Board
Strabane LSP established a Strabane East Ward Partnership body to oversee the development of a Vision Statement and 3 years Neighbourhood Action Plan (NAP). The purpose of the NAP is to profile the area of Strabane East Ward and to present a range of practical actions to promote neighbourhood renewal in the Ward. Based upon the priorities and actions identified within the Neighbourhood Action Plan, Strabane LSP allocated a total of £1million to ten projects under the following strategic themes:
- Improvement of community facilities.
- Improvement of leisure facilities.
- Improvement of traffic and transport.
- Improvement of the local economy.
- Improvement of the local environment.
The projects funded ranged from large-scale capital projects designed to improve environmental and leisure facilities to projects that provided services aimed at women, young people and the wider community. To date these projects have created 10 new jobs and provided capacity building, training and youth services which have directly benefited 188 people.
Example of a Project
Strabane District Council – Melvin Park, Multi Sport Synthetic Pitch with Floodlights (£200,000)
This £805,000 project aims to regenerate Melvin Park as a neutral, shared community resource in which sports, recreation, healthy living and community activities can take place, transforming this public space into a community park. The overall development of the site involves an extensive re development programme including:
- 2 sand carpet pitches and upgraded athletics track
- Multi sport synthetic pitch with flood lights to develop multi sport activity
- Community paths for healthy living activities including walking and cycling
- Informal play space
- Amenity planting schemes
Since the multi sport synthetic pitch became operational in September 2004, usage figures for Melvin Park have increased by 74.6% during the period September 2004 – March 2005 from 22,529 for the same period in 2003/04 to 39,358.
