Palmerston Play

The Belfast District Policing Partnership Chairman, Councillor David Browne explained, “the event has been designed to provide members of the public with practical advice, information and support on a range of crime prevention and safety issues, particularly related to this Christmas season. There will be a formal welcome at 10.00 a.m. and the rest of the morning will follow a marketplace format with a number of organisations providing information exhibits”.

“A number of the exhibitors, including the Police, Fire and Rescue Service, Belfast City Council and voluntary organisations, will have stands with specific crime prevention and safety messages and advice on car crime, domestic burglaries, bogus callers, fire prevention, food and consumer safety, the ‘Get Home Safe’ Campaign and drugs and alcohol advice.

Councillor D. Browne continued, “I would encourage members of the public to attend this event. Due to the events format the public will be able to attend City Hall and view the exhibitions from 10.00 a.m. onwards”.

There is no admittance fee and further information can be obtained by contacting the District Policing Partnership Office on telephone: 9027 0556 or email: dpp@belfastcity.gov.uk

Here's a summary of Bristol's progress to date. I hope this will
encourage efforts around the country.
It's November 2009 and Bristol has taken another step towards being a
20mph City. Earlier this year the City Council proposed two pilot
20mph areas comprising about 8% of the urban area. The initial proposals
excluded roads where the speed limit would really make a difference and
mainly included narrow residential streets where speeds are already low.
Campaigners made strong objections and now the plans that will go
forward to the formal consultation stage of traffic regulation orders
include most of the streets in the two areas, including most of the
streets that exceed 24mph average speed at present.
While arterial roads are still left at 30mph or higher, the proposals
represent a major success for campaigners and set an important precedent
for going beyond the DfT guideline of limiting the change to 20mph to
streets that already have recorded average speeds of 24mph or less.
Political circumstances have brought this about. The initial proposals
were the initiative of the then ruling Labour controlled council. Local
elections brought a change to Lib Dem control and a new executive with
another energetic executive councillor Dr Jon Rogers became the
executive member responsible for transport. Dr Rogers pushed the 20mph
agenda to new limits by supporting and pursuading highway officers to be
less tentative. The 20's Plenty campaign has had a vital role in
demonstrating public support for the move and making it clear we wanted
"Total Twenty".
Campaigning in Bristol does not stop here. The City Council has
expressed its willingness to look at other areas in Bristol for the
20mph treatment. Even before the first 20mph signs go up Campaigners
will have picked up the baton and be pressing for more of Bristol to be
20mph.
Steve Kinsella
20's Plenty for Bristol

AbilityNet Podcast no 9 now released

The latest Podcast from AbilityNet is released and ready for free download.

• Mike Williams discusses AbilityNet's AAC project
• Jo Greenwell's usual tips - this month DSpeech and adjusting the mouse double-click
• Greg Mumford discusses the best of the AbilityNet Youtube channel
• Joe Chidzik's regular web accessibility news roundup
• David Banes explains AbilityNet's involvement in the Telecentres Europe project
• Alex Barker's usual dates for our diaries

Available from http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/podcast/ and iTunes

New Web Access Courses Launched

AbilityNet up-coming winter courses – all in central London:

Understanding and Testing with WCAG2.0 - 11 Dec
Creating Accessible PDFs - 20 Jan
Accessible Flash - 17 Feb
For more information and to book your place today please go to

www.abilitynet.org.uk/webopencourses.

Access IT website updated with winners and best practice nominees

www.access-it-events.org has been fully updated with all the details from septembers awards and the best practice guide of 40+ initiatives on digital inclusion. The website will of course be the place to spot all the latest news in preparation for th 2010 awards.

Access News

IT Can Help are there to help disabled users

IT Can Help is a network of volunteers who are able to offer free local computer assistance to disabled people. We can diagnose and fix most computer related problems; Install and set up hardware, software, internet, email and accessibility settings;

You can contact us by ringing the AbilityNet freephone number (& textphone) – 0800 269545 or email us - enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk

Self-checkout now more accessible with IBM

Some people shop for pleasure and some for necessity only. But everyone shops. For individuals with disabilities shopping can be challenging, and retailers want to provide them with an easy, accessible shopping experience. IBM have been developing a more accessible self checkout system for retail

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/ucd/gallery/selfcheckout_systems.html

RJ Cooper launches accessible Guitar Hero !

With the popularity of Rock Band and Guitar Hero at an all-time high, RJ decided to allow persons with significant physical challenges to play also!

http://rjcooper.com/guitar-hero/

Best of YouTube

Automatic Captions in YouTube Videos

Not a YouTube Video buit the announcement from Google of automatic captioning for 13 You Tube Channels using Automated Speech recognition is wortha look

Announcement at

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/automatic-captions-in-youtube.html

Communicator PC10 - Overview

Communicator PC10 - Windows based speech aid  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xgc87TprPc

Mind Control Device Demonstration - Tan Le

Tan Le, co-founder and president of Emotiv Systems, gives a live demo of a mind control device that uses a person's thoughts to input computer commands

http://www.youtube.com/user/abilitynet#p/f/17/40L3SGmcPDQ

Tech Closeup: Google TV Raman, Ken Harrenstien

Google engineers work to make technology accessible to all. TV Raman is developing cell phone software on Google's Android operating system and Ken Harrenstien is developing closed captioning for online videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3V64JarvXs

All of these, and all of our new playlists can be found on the AbilityNet YouTube channel www.youtube.com/abilitynet.

What’s Hot on Twitter @AbilityNet #Accessibility #a11y

A smart CAPTCHA. "What is ten minus eight minus two?" "nothing". OK for http://rebuildingtheweb.com...

A screen users guide. All PDF creators should read this - http://is.gd/4WP5t

Mobile Accessibility -- tweets and links http://bit.ly/3m9O3R

Great accessibility awareness video; tech & people with hearing & visual impairments http://tr.im/Fmk2

Special Offers

E-learning

1 year access to AbilityNet elearning – only £35 per user + VAT

New Courses on AAC added this week

Go to www.abilitynettraining.org for details

Stimulate your Team with ICT Innovation Days

Get your team to look ahead and think about how access technology is going to change during the next 5 years – how will access be happening and what will be the impact. These interactive and hands on days are extremely popular in helping with planning and diversity. Contact David Banes at david.banes@abilitynet.org.uk for further details

Request a free HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ accessibility scan

HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ is an enterprise accessibility validation solution that scans your Web site for over 172 separate issues and delivers the results in a powerful online report.

Request your free HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ accessibility check today.

Need an accessibility speaker for event or workshop ?

Let us know if you would like us to try to speak at your events – we can deliver onsite or remotely across video conferencing email david.banes@abilitynet.org.uk for further details

Courses

The Autumn Course programme is released

Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007

Investigating accessibility within the Operating system and Office Applications

More information and booking for Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 course

Effective Assessment of Problems at Computer Workstations

Helping those involved in workstation assessments respond effectively

More information and booking for Effective Assessment of Problems at Computer Workstations course

Mobile Access Solutions

Exploring the key issues in selecting portable technology

More information and booking for Mobile Access Solutions course

Using ICT to Support People with Dyslexia

Use technology to help those who have reading and writing difficulties

More information and booking for Using ICT to Support People with Dyslexia course

Web 2.0

Demonstrating how to make the most of web 2.0 technologies

More information and booking for Web 2.0 course

Windows 7

Looking at the new accessibility features available in Windows 7

More information and booking for Windows 7 course

And there’s MORE

Stay in Touch with AbilityNet

Come find us at a number of events in the next few weeks...

Access IT 2009

Technology World 09

23rd and 24th Nov, 2009

Venue: Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK

AbilityNet will be on stand 56 come and find us

Across the Web

Join our daily Twitter channel @abilitynet

Join our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/abilitynet

Read our regular Blog www.abilitynet.org.uk/blog

Join GATE The Global Assistive Technology Encyclopedia

Podcast no 9 released

Aavailable for free from www.abilitynet.org.uk/podcast or via iTunes

Same link will take you to the archive of our regular podcasts  

Newsletter tested for mobile browsing

Dont wait for your AbilityNet newsletter - view it on your mobile - every week we test the Newsletter for mobile access - what more could you ask for ?

From: Sean

Dear colleague

As part of our ongoing volunteering programme we have arranged with our partners in Belfast City Council and Conservation Volunteers NI to hold a tree planting event in Dixon Playing Fields as part of National Tree Week. The event will take place on 28 November 2009, from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm and follows on from last weekend’s bulb planting in Victoria Park which was both hugely successful and enjoyable with over 2,500 bluebell and snowdrop bulbs planted.

The event in Dixon Playing Fields will hopefully be as much fun and we would like to see as many people there as possible. It is suitable for all ages and abilities and CVNI will be there to provide expert guidance and assistance with planting a range of native trees. I have attached a poster advertising the event and would appreciate it if you could ensure that this poster reaches as wide an audience as possible.

Sean Brannigan

Sean Brannigan

Community Engagement Officer

Connswater Community Greenway Project

274 Newtownards Road

Belfast

Telephone 90467930

www.communitygreenway.co.uk

"You Cant always get what you want" wailed Mick and the Boys, unless what you want is a regular zingy newsletter of all the latest news and information from the world of accessibility and assistive technology. In which case he should have sung "You can get exactly what you want just by subscribing to the weekly AbilityNet Newsletter ooooooh Yeah" Testify MIck, just testify

Newsletter tested for mobile browsing

Dont wait for your AbilityNet newsletter - view it on your mobile - every week we test the Newsletter for mobile access - what more could you ask for ?

Contents

AbilityNet News

Access News

Best Of YouTube

Whats Hot on Twitter

Special Offers

Courses

Staying In Touch

AbilityNet News

AAC Resouces launched online

AbilityNet’s “Exploring AAC” Website Launched

www.abilitynet.org.uk/aac

Please take a look at our web resource and tell us what you think.  Feel free to tell your colleagues and clients.

AbilityNet at Technology World 09

AbilityNet will be attending Technology World 09 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK. Technology world 09 is the UK's larest "Speed dating" event for companies with an interest in technology. If you are attending and would like to meet to discuss any aspect of accessible computing email us asap. Contact kareem.monem@abilitynet.org.uk to organise an appointment

YouTube Playlists Updated

Thanks for feedback on the YouTube playlists and how we could make them more useful

New playlists are being compiled as we speak on specific assistive technologies such as Screenreaders and Magnifiers - Find out more at www.youtube.com/abilitynet

History of AT Presentation on Slideshare

David Banes' take on the "History of AT" presentation from BCS InclusivITy day can be found uploaded at Slideshare at www.slideshare.net/abilitynet

www.slideshare.net/abilitynet

Access News

Visually impaired gamer sues Sony

Hot off the presses of many major gaming and technical news outlets is a story about a visually impaired gamer who is suing Sony online entertainment for game ... accessibility as demanded by the Americans with disabilities act (ADA).

Interesting look at the beginnings of the HTML img tag

Why do we have the img element? An interesting glimpse from 1993 when it was first being discussed

Free browsers for vision impairment

Links to 8 browsers designed with vision impaired users in mind, following on from an article on Disaboom

Using NVDA to evaluate web accessibility

Testing web content with a screenreader is essential for highlighting issues that may not be uncovered as part of a standard WCAG2 review. This guide will help you use the open source screenreader, NVDA, to test your website

W3C Cheat sheet

Useful quick access to W3C accessibility tips

Best of YouTube

Google Wave Made Simple

Google has developed a new open source program called "Google Wave." http://wave.google.com Put simply, Google Wave is just like Google Docs for e-mail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9AbePnE08

Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking as an assistive technology

Don Oliver has had multiple sclerosis for 40 years and is wheel chair bound. Dragon is a critical part of his every day life. What does he use Dragon for? "I use it for everything."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZo1p_5-o4

Android Accessibility

This is just a quick video on where we are with accessibility for Android

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaLQt35H_10

All of these, and all of our new playlists can be found on the AbilityNet YouTube channel www.youtube.com/abilitynet.

What’s Hot on Twitter @AbilityNet #Accessibility #a11y

Microsoft says speech is the next touch: http://ow.ly/yY6o

Second Life and #Disability: Interview with University of South Australia's Denise Wood: http://ow.ly/yYaq

Living with Asperger's syndrome: http://bit.ly/1dP4L6

How to be a leader with assistive technology http://bit.ly/3kvMK4

Special Offers

E-learning

1 year access to AbilityNet elearning – only £35 per user + VAT

Go to www.abilitynettraining.org for details

Stimulate your Team with ICT Innovation Days

Get your team to look ahead and think about how access technology is going to change during the next 5 years – how will access be happening and what will be the impact. These interactive and hands on days are extremely popular in helping with planning and diversity. Contact David Banes at david.banes@abilitynet.org.uk for further details

Request a free HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ accessibility scan

HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ is an enterprise accessibility validation solution that scans your Web site for over 172 separate issues and delivers the results in a powerful online report.

Request your free HiSoftware Compliance Sheriff™ accessibility check today.

Need an accessibility speaker for event or workshop ?

Let us know if you would like us to try to speak at your events – we can deliver onsite or remotely across video conferencing email david.banes@abilitynet.org.uk for further details

Courses

The Autumn Course programme is released

Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007

Investigating accessibility within the Operating system and Office Applications

More information and booking for Accessibility in Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 course

Effective Assessment of Problems at Computer Workstations

Helping those involved in workstation assessments respond effectively

More information and booking for Effective Assessment of Problems at Computer Workstations course

Mobile Access Solutions

Exploring the key issues in selecting portable technology

More information and booking for Mobile Access Solutions course

Using ICT to Support People with Dyslexia

Use technology to help those who have reading and writing difficulties

More information and booking for Using ICT to Support People with Dyslexia course

Web 2.0

Demonstrating how to make the most of web 2.0 technologies

More information and booking for Web 2.0 course

Windows 7

Looking at the new accessibility features available in Windows 7

More information and booking for Windows 7 course

And there’s MORE

Stay in Touch with AbilityNet

Come find us at a number of events in the next few weeks...

Access IT 2009

Technology World 09

23rd and 24th Nov, 2009

Venue: Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK

AbilityNet will be on stand 56 come and find us

Across the Web

Join our daily Twitter channel @abilitynet

Join our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/abilitynet

Read our regular Blog www.abilitynet.org.uk/blog

Join GATE The Global Assistive Technology Encyclopedia

Podcast no 9 close to release

It will soon be available for free from www.abilitynet.org.uk/podcast or via iTunes

Living Streets is hosting a one day workshop to enable transport planners, designers and engineers to develop successful Local Transport Plan 3 policies and projects which create walkable communities. These will be taking place in Sheffield on 6 Nov and in London on 20 Nov. Find out more information on Living Streets' website.

Free Autumn-themed posters

The latest in our series of seasonal A3 posters is now available to help you promote walking this autumn. You can also order packs of A7 pledge cards which help your employees get in the walking habit. To see the new materials, or to place an order, visit our resource page.

ACT TravelWise conference, 23/24 Nov

The 2009 ACT TravelWise Autumn Conference provides an opportunity to find out just what shape travel planning is in. Delegates will be encouraged to discuss how much strength and vigour Travel Planning has; and examine what it can do for your health, the health of children, customers and employees ... and the health of your wallet. Download the conference programme for more information or visit their website.

Walk to Work Week dates announced!

Mark your diaries, the next Walk to Work Week will be held from 26-30 April 2010. We will be providing you with all the necessary information in the coming months through this e-bulletin and on our website. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, you can read about last year's events on our website.

Community Drug Awareness Training (CDAT) These training programmes are aimed at building capacity in the Voluntary and Community Sector and the general public around substance misuse related issues. All courses are free to those who work or live in the Belfast or South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust areas.

These training courses are delivered by the ASCERT, FASA and the Falls Community Council as part of the Eastern Board Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and are funded by the Eastern Drug and Alcohol Co-ordination Team

If you require any information on the attached course please contact me

James E Scott

Community Support Worker (S&E Belfast) EDACT

Forum for Action on Substance Abuse

Forum for Action on Suicide Awareness

178-180 Shankill Road

Belfast

BT13 2BH

Tel: 028 9080 3040

Email: james@fasaonline.org

E A S T B E L F A S T S P E A K S O U T

When: Wednesday 30^th September 7.30 to 9.00 p.m.

Where: Ashfield Boys’ School

Admission is free. Doors open at 7 p.m.

AIM

The aims of the debate are twofold: 

1. To provide access to leading politicians to discuss issues of general concern to the

    public

2. To encourage active participation in the political sphere from a cross-section of

   what can be seen to be a currently disappointed electorate/population

METHOD

There will be four or five guests each time and an independent chair.

The chair for 2009 will be Conor Bradford from BBC NI.

Panelists are:                   Laurence Robertson MP (Shadow Minister for NI, UCUNF)

Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA (DUP)

Naomi Long, Belfast Lord Mayor and MLA (Alliance)

Gerry Kelly MLA (Sinn Féin)

Patrick Corrigan (Programme Director, Amnesty International)                                          

THEME & PUBLICITY

The theme for questions from the floor is “Facing up to the future”

The event will be publicised chiefly throughout East Belfast communities and sixth forms.

James Smyth;   tel:  028 4461 7575.

james.smyth@nispeaksout.org.uk

September 2009

Inverary Community Centre Committee

AGM

Monday 3^rd August 2009

6.30pm in Inverary Community Centre

This is a great event and you should go along and see how the Community Centre is Managed it is a worth while visit and you will be able to see just how much Inverary Community Centre and its Manager Mrs Sandra Workman works so hard for the whole community in the Sydenham Area

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE ALL WELCOME

Terry Hoey chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association believes his article in the Belfast Telegraph and radio interview has cleared up some issues he had with the Belfast city airport watch spokeswoman. He feels her reply to say that Palmerston Road was not on the flight path for the airport was true, but he also feels that she clearly does not know the area as to where she thinks Larkfield Road and Connsbrook Ave are.

Airport Watch had carried out an audit of some 412 people from as far away as Rosetta and Stranmillis, which Terry feels are not on the flight path either, but she felt that it was worth while to audit them, Terry finds it strange that if airport watch has the ground swell of opinion in the Sydenham area that is where she should have carried out the audit. It was also strange Airport Watch did not state which schools were effected, as only one school remains in the Sydenham area Victoria Park Primary School.

Palmerston Residents Association has seen other audits that have taken place in the Sydenham area for youth facilities, we would be very interested to see any audits Airport Watch have carried out and what was included in them,  was our disabled community ask to take part, were any of the minority communities included. The association feels that if audits are carried out they should be made available to the public, as this is such an important issue where our local economy may be effected and in turn peoples jobs.

Terry looks to the Sydenham Business Park where multinational companies like Phoenix gas, NTL World,IKEA,B&Q and Sainsbury to mention a few. A host of other companies have now opened up close to the Belfast city airport, it has become an economical hub for East Belfast where people want to set up business beside the airport facility,the association has seen a lot of outside interference within the Sydenham area that is effecting the whole of the Sydenham Community and it is a strong believer in asking the community what it thinks.

Terry would like to thank everybody for the support he has been given for his article that appeared in the Belfast Telegraph and the Community Telegraph.   

Palmerston Residents Association ask for funding from the Community Safety Summer Splash 2009 programme to change this piece of land in to a Community Garden, and to involve our young people to help with the project. This was to continue all of the school summer holidays, it would have given some of our young people an activity through the summer holidays. This space is going to be a community garden and remembrance site, it is also to be used as an outside classroom for the local schools, Northern Ireland Railways will give talks about the dangers of playing on the railway lines. The Palmerston Residents Association ask for a grant of £1000.00, it would have been used as part of other sponsorships we are planning to involved in this project. It comes on the back of being turned down for funding also £1000.00 to stage an event for a Community watch Community Policing Event on the 22 August 09. The association felt the council would have funded these projects as they always say there are funds available, but as Terry Hoey chairman of the residents association has always maintained it is better to try and find funds from other sources. In the past four months we have been turned down for three grants to help with community projects within the area, Terry says he is only glad this has happened now and we have learnt our lessons on funding from the Council. We would have been in a worse state if it had been for our major event we are planning for next year. The Community Watch Emergency Services Event that will involve all the emergency services, we are hoping to involve services from both the UK and Ireland, the Palmerston Residents Association ask the council why there is not enough funds available to stage projects like ours, that will help within the community and give something back, and also teach our children to respect our community policing teams, as well as show them the dangers of alcohol abuse and drug abuse at a time when our young community are on leave from school. We say this is such a missed opportunity for them and for the council.     

The Chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association Terry Hoey would like to thank Beverley Surgenor of the Wesley Housing Association for the meeting at the site of their new development and the tour of the site, Terry would like to say how well it fitted into the surroundings and how sympathetic the new development is with the new trees and the surrounding gardens that have been made to complement the new development. The private garden to the rear of the development is an added touch and works well with the overall development,Terry was also very impressed with the interior of the new development the high finish and standards that has been reached for the residents of the home. They have taken care to insure that it has been finished to a very high standard and we thank them for that.

The Palmerston Residents Association would also like to thank Wesley Housing Associations Beverley Surgenor for agreeing to let the residents association place a plaque depicting the Smiles Family the history of the family in the local community and connections to Gustav Wolff, and their links to the Belfast Rope Works. This will give the community of Sydenham much pride, the plaque will be placed outside the development with a small garden to enable the community and its visitors to know the Smiles Family once lived on the site that is now the new development, this is a great achievement showing just how local communities and private enterprise can work together in building better community relations. We hope to work with Wesley Housing Association on other projects within the area.

We look  forward to the official opening of their new development ,and we wish them every success for the future, they have done a great job in improving the area and making sure that the surroundings complemented the area.           

Terry Hoey Chairman of the Palmerston Residents Association is pleased to say we have formed links with a new community group that has been set up in the lower Holywood Road in East Belfast.

We will work together on the proposed new Stadium planned for the Holywood Road in East Belfast, both groups have fears the site will destroy one of Northern Irelands prestigious routes along the Holywood Road and may wipe out a number of the green spaces.

The proposal is to replace the green spaces with 4000 car park spaces, the community groups involved feel this just cannot be allowed to happen, to destroy green spaces to accommodate a car park is unbelievable. We say to the the Belfast City Council to name any other City in Europe that would destroy a park,trees and wildlife habitat to replace with a car park.

The Planned Stadium will cause so many restrictions to the residents of the Lower Holywood Road, also two of our major schools in the area Ashfield Boys High School And Ashfield Girls High School, it begs the question has any thought gone into this plan, we already have a bottle neck at the Knocknagoney Roundabout on the Holywood Road and the Parkway entrances to the Belfast Side of the Sydenham By Pass at early morning  and throughout the day.

Our greatest fear would be on a match day, we have a lot of young mothers and senior citizens who travel along the Holywood Road to Tesco and the Holywood Exchange, what would the effect be on them if the Stadium was to hold a rock concert how would they get out to shops. We must remember that our planning services have not taken into account the need for local shops in the communities that will live around the proposed Stadium.

We also fear the volume of new vehicles that will travel along the Sydenham By Pass to the Stadium and new traffic that will also travel along to and from the Stadium along Parkway and the Holywood Road. This will make it almost impossible for local residents to carry on their normal daily lives .

Our community will lose out by the removal of our Children's Park, Football Pitches,and the local site that is used for lighting the seasonal bonfire, also clubs that  use the park for model airplane flying it has taken very hard work on behalf of community workers in the area to build a community for our young people, to see the possibility of them losing more resources in an area is beyond belief, the community has already been robbed of one asset to the area that being the Sydenham Youth Hall.

Our groups would like to see a full public inquiry into this proposed site, and to see impact studies on Traffic,Green Spaces,Wildlife and what effect it will have to local residents who live on the lower Holywood Road in their day to day existence. This is a major development planned for the area, we feel that our residents must have a say in this matter before the first sod is cut.

I am the Chairman of Palmerston Residents Association (the ‘Association’), an organisation which endeavours to represent the interests of and work for the good of the people living in the area in and around Sydenham in East Belfast. The Association is involved in many projects which it hopes will improve the Sydenham area and benefit it in the long-term. The Association is not a legal entity.

I first notified the Department of the Environment / Northern Ireland Environment Agency (the ‘Challenged Party’ or ‘CP’), of our interest in having properties at 2 & 4 Station Road, Sydenham, Belfast, BT4 1RE, (the ‘subject properties’), listed in and around October 2007; I mentioned in e-mail correspondence at this time my knowledge of the connection between the subject properties and Mr Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, co-founder of Harland & Wolff shipyards and former MP for the East Belfast constituency.

Around 3 months passed and I had heard nothing further from the CP and therefore was becoming anxious that any action was not being taken expeditiously as the properties were in my belief in risk of demolition. I sent a further e-mail in January 2008 to Mr Kirby at the CP, again enquiring of their position in relation to the subject properties and raising my concerns that the properties may be subjected to demolition and therefore requesting that ‘spot-listing’ be considered by them. In response to this e-mail of same date, Mr Kirby advised that the Senior Conservation Architect would be viewing the subject properties the following day. Copies of the e-mail correspondence referred to in this statement are attached hereto.

I also sent a letter to the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, dated 27^th January 2008, in which I canvassed for the support of the Senior Ministers in protecting the subject properties, not least because of the perceived risk of demolition. I made clear therein my belief that the properties were worthy of protection because of their historic links to Mr Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. A response to this letter from the Office of First and Deputy First Minister was received, dated 31^st January 2008, stating that the previously mentioned letter had been passed to the CP.

A substantial response from the CP in relation to my letter dated 27^th January 2008 was received, dated 20^th February 2008. The response noted the issues raised by me in respect of the subject properties, in particular it references my plea that the buildings be “saved from destruction” “because of their historical connection with Gustav Wilhelm Wolff and because holding onto this part of our history would sit very well with the Titanic Quarter’”. The letter explained that the matter would be considered in due course by Mr Manus Deery, Principal Architect, who would decide whether the properties were worthy of being ‘spot listed’.

The next item of correspondence which I received was a letter from Mr Manus Deery, dated 28^th March 2008, advising that the CP was in the process of inspecting and gathering information on the subject properties to determine if same would meet the legislative test for listing. I am aware the subject properties were indeed ‘spot listed’ in and around the 17^th July 2008.

After hearing that the subject properties had been demolished in and around January 2009, but in advance of hearing of the CP’s decision, I contacted my local MLA, Councillor Naomi Long regarding the matter. I am aware that Cllr Long wrote to Councillor Sammy Wilson MP MLA, Minister of the Environment. In Cllr Long’s letter to Cllr Wilson, Cllr Long posed a number of questions:

1. Cllr Long pointed out that it appeared “bizarre” that “at a time when the Northern Ireland Executive and Belfast City Council are investing in a new Titanic Signature project to promote the City’s links with that famous vessel...that authentic heritage directly linked to the shipyard is permitted to be demolished.”

2. Whether a formal decision not to list the subject properties was taken and if so, the rationale for this.

3. Conversely to 2, whether the BPNs were allowed to lapse, permitting the subject properties to be demolished.

A fellow-member of the Association then received a letter from the CP dated 12^th February 2009. This letter advised that a Building Preservation Notice (BPN) was issued by the CP on each of the subject properties on 17^th July 2008, affording both properties protection for a period of 6 months. (up to and including 16^th January 2009). The letter advised that the CP:

“considered all of the available evidence, consultations and representations and concluded that the buildings did not meet the test of Article 42 of the Planning Order 1991 [as amended] i.e. that they did not meet the test of “special architectural or historic interest” required for permanent protection as listed buildings.”

The CP then explained its decision in view of the fact that a BPN was initially served upon the owners of the subject properties:

“The substantive difference between the initial and final decision by the Department was the establishment that the buildings were not as unusual and rare as initially thought.....in our view an argument that they were of special architectural interest could not be sustained”.

I understand that this view was based on the fact that one of the subject properties had had its Victorian-style interior added in the late Twentieth century whilst the other property’s interior had been completely modernised. ‘External changes’ to the property were also mentioned and in the CP’s view this contributed to the decision reached by them.

The letter also addressed my arguments that the buildings should have been protected by reason of their historical association with Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. The CP acknowledges that their own research confirmed the information which had been provided by me and the Association:

“The structures were indeed part of his now gone estate known as ‘the Den’. However....though of interest, this was not sufficient grounds upon which to protect the buildings. It did not make the buildings objects of special historical interest”.

To explain this decision, the CP made reference to Annex C of Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6) which states that:

“in the case of historical associations, there will generally need to be some additional quality or interest in the fabric of the building itself to justify listing. Either the building will have architectural merit in itself or it should be well preserved in a form which directly reveals its historical associations....[for example] because of the survival of

certain particular features.....”.

In addition, Cllr Wilson responded to Cllr Long’s letter above, and in response thereto made the following points:

1. A decision not to list the subject properties was taken in advance of the expiration of the BPNs.

2. As per the reasons outlined above in the correspondence from the CP to the Querist dated 12^th February 2009, the CP concluded that the subject properties were not of special architectural interest.

3. The Minister acknowledged the historic interest in the subject properties by reason of their association with Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, however he comments that the association though of interest was not of sufficient ‘weight’ to justify listing. The Minister refers as his Department did to PPS6, Annex C, which is as stated above. The Minister concludes that as the subject properties had been altered since Wolff’s time, historic associations were not directly revealed and therefore the subject properties were not eligible for listing.

Both myself and the Association and many of the local residents in our area are deeply aggrieved by the decision taken by the CP in respect of the subject properties. Having sought legal advice, I am not satisfied that their decision was correct. I wish to seek redress, by way of Judicial Review, to challenge their decision and have same publicly declared erroneous by a Court of law. Hopefully if we are successful this would ensure the future of other historic properties which will not suffer the same fate as a result of poor decision making by the public body in question.