What’s Happening
Developers want to develop.
Their plans are to build many houses and hotels, carparks and roads in the middle of Our Lagan Valley Regional Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and SLNCI and Northern Irelands ONLY designated Regional Park. Destroying the green spaces we cherish. Due care and attention has not been paid to the Biodiversity and Infrastructure of our environment and we are therefore raising strong objection.
Putting more pressure on our already overloaded sewerage system and roads. With minimal public transport no local shops or schools this area needs care and investment.
This is the most recent of very many developments suggested for this area. The planning portal is broken. Objections are taking months to show there or are not showing at all and in the meantime the ‘planning process’ goes on. If we don’t speak up we will all lose what we all treasure and the green belt will be a sea of 1980s style houses and a barren desert bereft of wildlife.
[hit play button above mouseover the video and click expand screen icon to view]
Latest News and Stories
About this development the Lagan Valley Regional Park, Drumbeg and the State of Nature.
On page 53 of our Q5 document you can see the future –
Proposal drawings for developments of hundreds of houses in the lands beside this little development.
Documents LCCC Planners Q Blog
PDE Enquiries Sent to NIW and LCCC Planners 19.04.24
Dear Sir Please find enclosed an FOI/EIR request in relation to the requirements and compliance of PDE applications in relation to [...]
read moreApr
Flooding Q Blog
Another Flood at the Drum Bridge
🌿 Another Call to Action: Addressing Flooding in Drumbeg Once again, we find ourselves with the aftermath of flooding in Drumbeg. [...]
read moreMar
Flooding News Q Blog Traffic
The Quarterlands Road Flooding Dilemma:
Balancing Development and Environmental Concerns: Quarterlands road, nestled in the heart of our community, has long been a subject of debate [...]
read moreMar
Biodiversity LVRP Q Blog
The State of It
A Call to Save It! The latest “State of Nature Report” paints a grim picture of the biodiversity crisis facing Northern [...]
read moreMar
Q Blog Traffic
Navigating Quarterlands
A Challenge Amidst Planned Developments Introduction: Quarterlands Road, with its quaint charm and scenic countryside views, has long been a cherished [...]
read moreMar
Flooding Objection Q Blog Water WwTW
Drainage Assessments
The newest document from the Quarterlands Group is a set of comments on the Atkins Drainage Assessment Reports for the proposed [...]
read moreMar
accidental activists Documents Planning Portal Q Blog
The Planning Portal 😤
For the accidental activists like us here’s a good one to know. It’s surprisingly easy to miss documents on the Planning [...]
read moreFeb
Documents Objection Q Blog
Q6 Matters of Concern
This planning application highlights so many issues around planning in NI in this case involving human rights, equality impact assessment and [...]
read moreFeb
Biodiversity Hedgerow LVRP Q Blog
Simple Hedgerows
Preserving Nature’s Tapestry: Celebrating the Importance of Hedges Recently, a captivating segment on BBC’s Countryfile shed light on the often overlooked [...]
read moreFeb
Documents Leaflets Q Blog
We have seen the future Leaflet.
Based on our ‘We have seen the future’ post here. We have made a leaflet. Thanks to everyone who has asked [...]
read moreFeb
Documents LCCC Planners Planning Portal Q Blog
Letter 2 to LCCC Planners re: altered documents
On February 1 we sent Q4 and Q5 our new documents to the LCCC Planning department (see on our documents page). [...]
read moreFeb
Documents Objection Q Blog
Q5-Key Objections
Quarterlands Group Introductory Comments and key points arising from the Developers submissions INTRODUCTION Welcome to our comprehensive objection document Q5, [...]
read moreFeb
If you are on an Accidental Activist journey Like ours
See this post in our Q BLOG
PLEASE NOTE
28.08.23 The site under consideration is unambiguously identified as a Site of Local Nature Conservation Importance (SLNCI) in position paper 8: natural heritage, dated November 2019, page 38 from LCCC. This classification warrants thorough consideration in the evaluation of the proposed development.
(SLNCIs) are identified as supporting habitats, species or earth science features. As well as making a contribution to the local natural heritage, they contribute to National and European biodiversity.
This what3words address refers to a 3 metre square location in the middle of our Hawthorn Hedge. Tap the link below or enter the 3 words ///clock.cool.actor into the free what3words app to find it. (once there try clicking the satellite view)
https://w3w.co/clock.cool.actor
67+ Protected Species 21+ Priority Protected Species resident in and around a proposed building site along the Quarterlands Road in the Lagan Valley Regional Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Site of Local Nature Conservation in Northern Ireland on the outskirts of Belfast. All the photographs and videos were taken by residents in and around the site.
See how exotic and marvellous the nature we have all around us is?
Don’t Bulldoze Biodiversity –
Videos by residents with ambient sound.
Photographs by residents with music.
HERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD SOME OF THE OBJECTION DOCUMENTs submitted by the QUARTERLANDS GROUP Since JAN 2022
We researched many aspects of planning in the Lagan Valley Regional Park and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and have submitted these documents to the planning authority. This became known as Q1 (Quarterlands 1) or The Big Document.
The developers lodged a rebuttal document which you can see on the planning portal, Q2 is our response to their rebuttal. It also contains interesting maps showing the designation of land over time and asks about Lagan Valley Regional Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being changed and designated as building land.
In March 2023 the developers lodged more drawings with the planning office showing further changes to the boundary planting. The removal of part of the green at Hambleden Park and the movement of houses to facilitate further vehicle access to the land beyond the site. So we wrote Q3 in answer.
In November/ December 2023 the developers lodged hundreds more pages on the Planning Portal. We read and responded to particularly the Ecological Appraisal Report our Q4 and the Developers Rebuttal to our points, we understand to have been written by a KC our Q5.
Quick Q is the bullet point summary of our objections before the Committee Meeting Feb 2024.
About
What We Want
No More Building in Lagan Valley Regional Park
Without
Transparent Community Consultation
Proper and clear information to all residents affected by the developments.
Full Regard for Climate Change
All construction to be planned and completed in line with current technologies in light of climate change. Heating, water usage, insulation, transport etc.
Improved Infrastructure
Changes and upgrades to water, power transport should be covered in part by all new developments as they occur for the resident community and the wider planet.
Protection of our Environment
Protection of biodiversity, species and habitats to be at the heart of ALL developments.
Don’t Bulldoze Our Biodiversity
About Quarterlands.com
We are Quarterlands Group and have as our aim protecting the Lagan Valley Regional Park by conserving Heritage Hedgerows and grasslands at Quarterlands Road to promote a healthy environment and biodiversity.
We are a voluntary group of concerned locals and others with an interest in conserving the LVRP with no financial interest in the matter in which they seek to influence planners.
We have created this website so that other voluntary groups are able to benefit from the work we undertake in this area of LVRP.
Where it began..
In Dec 2021 another developer dropped another planning application to the planners at LCCC.
In late January 2022 the notification landed on a handful of local doormats. With less than a week to respond to the application one of our number asked friends and neighbours what they thought. None of them had heard about it. A group of us got together on Zoom to talk about it and decided that we needed to find out more.
Quarterlands.com is part of the finding out. We’d like to know what you think and to ask for your support to challenge the flurry of applications and building projects in the area.
We live in Lagan Valley Regional Park, in an area of outstanding natural beauty and we genuinely fear that we will lose what makes this such a lovely place to live if we don’t challenge.
Quarterlands Videos
All taken in and around the proposed site.
OUR LEAFLET
Some of our group have been sharing this leaflet in the area to tell more of our friends and neighbours about what’s happening here.
Our Leaflet
Latest News and Stories
About this development the Lagan Valley Regional Park, Drumbeg and the State of Nature.
Read more on the qblogWhy Get Involved?
We have the privilege of the Lagan Valley Regional Park an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Our biodiversity is rich. We have rare plants and animals, we have green spaces and watercourses which need our protection. Our infrastructure is in need of improvement. Our local amenities need to exist. We can see that developers are profiting and fear that local planning authorities may not be fully considering the whole picture.
If we don’t raise awareness and voices to protect and improve the area we will lose it for ourselves and the generations to come as it will simply continue to be built over.
What to do
How To Object
1
Write a Letter explaining your concerns to the planning authority.
Write your objection.
Quote the planning number
LA05/2022/0033/F
Email to Planning2
Sign the Petiton
Click Here and Sign on Change.org
Click me!Don’t Bulldoze Our Biodiversity
Quarterlands Group are residents of Lagan Valley Regional Park an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty south of Belfast.
We have rare plants and animals, we have green spaces and watercourses which need our protection. We can all see developers building across the park and zoning changes in what were once green belt areas. Profits are being made from our wild spaces, species are being harmed and lost. Environmental pressures from climate change are being dodged and we fear that local planning authorities may be missing the point.
We need to make our voices heard to protect what we have for ourselves and for future generations.
Please sign the petition and stand with your friends and neighbours to call a halt and a rethink.
3
Make Calls or Send emails
Our elected representatives should hear your thoughts on these matters.
Send copies of your objections to
MP
Emma Little-Pengelly –
emma.little-pengelly@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
MLAs
Robbie Butler (UUP) – robbie.butler@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Sorcha Eastwood (ALL) – sorcha.eastwood@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Paul Givan (DUP) – paul.givan@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
David Honeyford (ALL) – david.honeyford@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Councillors
Andrew Gowan (DUP) – andrew.gowan@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk
Uel Mackin (DUP) – uel.mackin@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk
Aaron McIntyre (ALL) – aaron.mcintyre@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk
Kurtis Dickson (ALL) – kurtis.dickson@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk
James Baird (UUP) – james.baird@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk
4
Visit the NI Direct Planning Portal and register your objection.
Copy and Paste this planning number to find all the documents and register your objection.