Palmerston Residents Association Says the Campaign Goes on to save The Den at Station Road Belfast Northern Ireland the Home of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff

The Palmerston Residents Association can confirm it received a letter from the Director of Built Heritage within the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) today 26th February 2008 confirming he had received our letter to the First and Deputy First Ministers Office at the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He had noted our concerns that the buildings should be saved and made part of the wider Titanic project and for the history of shipbuilding in East Belfast, he also noted that we requested it to be brought under the control of the City Council  he also noted we suggested  that Wolff and Smiles should be remembered in some way at the site of the two homes.

He understands that we have already been in contact with the Historic Buildings Unit in the Directorate Seeking Spot Listing of the buildings. He confirmed the Current position is that they are carrying out research to establish if they meet the Legislative test for listing,ie that they are of special architectural or historic interest. He also confirmed that the Principal Architect was now gathering information and he would write to the Association with his decision.

 

The  Palmerston Residents Association feels that the Heritage service are dragging their heels on this issue and feel that some sort of spot listing should take place to safe guard the cottages until a decision is reached by the Department we are seeing our Heritage under threat with regards to the Departments action we feel they should act quickly to remove any threat to them in the meantime we ask them to rethink the issue of spot listing once more   

The Palmerston Residents Association Say The Ulster Unionist Party Ignoring Sydenham

In the Uplight of the long suffering people of Sydenham under the heading 'Garden Grabbing' it lster Unionist Party leaflet The East Belfast Voice it totally Ignores the plight of the long suffering people of Sydenham under the heading 'Garden Grabbing' it states Get rich Quick schemes shouldn't dramatically alter the East Belfast Landscape. On the subject of garden grabbing we the UUP are very concerned.Its clear that there are serious issues that need to be ironed out with regard to planning in suburban areas and we intend to push for laws to properly regulate the growing trend. We need to protect the heritage,integral identity and natural beauty of East Belfast. Areas such as Shandon Park, Belmont Road,and Ballyhackamore need protected from sub-urban get rich Quick phenomenon. We are not against enterprise just a fair set of ground rules. (End Quote)

The Palmerston Residents Association says how could the Ulster Unionist Party make such a statement when the Sydenham area is being totally destroyed and our history being totally wiped out with homes like Westbank House being lost to the developers and now the Den the Home of Gustav Wolff on Station Road under threat and our history being totally wiped out. The Unionist Party should walk down any of our main roads in the Sydenham Area to see what is going on in Sydenham they will see scenes like the one in the photo all around in fact its like a bomb site or deserted sites. Get Real Shandon Park, Belmont Road, and Ballyhackamore, would never be under the same threat as the Sydenham, planning just would not be granted.

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Palmerston Residents Association And Inverary Community Group Says we want the Sea Cadets For The Sydenham Area

The Palmerston Residents Association And The Inverary Community Group are fighting to save the Youth Club on the Palmerston Road In Sydenham Belfast Northern Ireland. We have seen our area under immense developer Interest with planning being granted on many developments we are now seeing the prospect of one of our community facilities being torn down for community development of 6 Apartments. We have seen this facility lying in a state of decay for the past 2 years now, not by the fault of the community but by the fault of who let it be built and included asbestos, we have seen our youth in the area having no neutral space to claim as there own until the Belfast TS Formidable Sea Cadets. They have been trying for the past 2 years to get this building as it was originally built for the youth of the area. The cadets began negotiations with the BELB to try and acquire the building as a Sea Cadet Training Centre, the cadets became aware of the difficulties other community groups where having in the area and formed a partnership with Inverary Community Group who stated an interest in having access to the building at certain times of the week for their work. The Sea Cadets have certain funding in place but were told by a third party in October and by the BELB in December they wanted £400000.00 for the site. The refurbishment costs required to the building is in the region of £150000.00 with the removal of the asbestos being priority. We ask the BELB and our local councillors and MLAs why this was allowed to happen. The Ts Formidable Sea Cadets have been in East Belfast since 1943 bar the last three years when they have been meeting at Kinnegar Cadet Training Centre in Holywood, whilst attempting to secure new premises in the East Belfast Area. We as a residents association and the Inverary Community feel that what the Sea Cadets can bring are vital for the Youth in the area. We look to the BELB as the education Department to draw back on any plans to sell this facility and make it available to the youth in the area. We also look to them as an education Department to put the youth in the area before money we see you have great opportunity to give the youth of the Sydenham Area and East Belfast something that will help them to build their character in adult life and will help them understand the meaning of control in their lives. If the Department fails to safe guard this centre for the youth in the area, then it fails the youth of the area of education and training for future life. We look to our councillors and our MLAs to stand up for the Youth in the Sydenham Area and make sure this centre stays in place for the Youth Of the Area. To us this should not be an issue we should not have to be protecting our youth from losing this centre as a place for education and learning. Our councillors, MLAs and Eductation Department should be doing this for us, after all that is why they are in the positions they are and elected to Government this is our young peoples lives and we want them to have every opportunity that they can to make them better citizens and better prepared for their future and the Sea Cadets can do this, we should be thanking the sea cadets for wanting to come to the area.

Palmerston Residents Association Wants Councillors And MlLs In Northen Ireland To Act To Save Our Youth Club For The Sea Cadets

By Andy J on February 15, 2008 7:59 AM Permalink Comments (0) TrackBacks (0)
Our chairman has previously written an article concerning Sydenham Youth Club and the T.S. Formidable Sea Cadets. The article is available online at http://the-association.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!F9B9B074F766A228!275.entry.The Residents Association has received some further information about the background to the story and would like to make our readers aware of the story.
T.S. Formidable Sea Cadets have been in the East Belfast area since 1943 bar the last three years when they have been meeting at Kinnegar Cadet Training Centre, Holywood whilst attempting to secure new premises in the East Belfast Area.
In late 2005 it became known that Sydenham Youth Club building had reduced numbers and due to required maintenenance work, was going to close. As this building was purposely built for youth, the cadets began negotiations with the BELB to try to acquire the building as Sea Cadet Training Centre. The cadets became aware of other difficulties other community groups were having in the area and formed a partnership with the Inverary Community Group who stated an interest in having access to the building at certain times through the week for their work.
The Sea Cadets have certain funding in place but were told by a third party in October and by BELB in December that the BELB want £400000.00 for the site. Refurbishment work required to the building is inthe region of £150000 with the removal of asbestos being a priority.
The building has gone through the normal Government process of disposal and the cadets have been informed that they need a Government Department to 'Sponsor' their interest to secure the building. We feel that as the building is going to be used predominantly for Youth, the reason the building was constructed in the first place, that some sort of conclusion could have been brought by BELB toallow the Sea Cadets to acquire the building at a preferential rate and for the Sea Cadets to refurbish it and open it as a Cadet Training Center and for use of local community groups.
The Sea Cadets do not have the amount that BELB are insisting upon and have been told that a Housing Association wants the site to place six apartments onto it.
The Association feel that it is vitally important that we raise the profile of this story amongst our readers and members. The Sea Cadets have funding in place for refurbishment and a plan to make the hall available to community groups.
The below photographs are courtesy of T.S. Formidable Sea Cadets.

The Palmerston Residents Association have been trying to have this toilet block brought back into use since July 2007. These toilets have not been open to the public for years but the need for them in the park out ways them to be continually locked to the public, this rule was brought in many years ago by one of the park wardens that use to patrol the park. The residents association are now asking Belfast City Council to re-open the toilets to enable young mothers with children the use of this facility we also say to the council that our senior citizens and our disabled community also need them in use. This park could be one of Northern Irelands up and coming attractions its situated in a part of Belfast where the need for green open space is essential for the citizens of East Belfast the council must also look to our visitors to the area who use the park. I have been in this park many times and seen the Council having these toilets refurbished and new guttering installed only to be locked up again.I have also seen young parents having to let their young children having to use the bushes. The council must look at this issue if it feels theses toilets could be damaged then why not reinstate a park warden to enforce the rules of the park, Victoria Park is one of East Belfast greatest Assets for the community of East Belfast it covers a wide area and its one of the oldest. The Palmerston Residents Association feel that all community assets should be maintained for the good of the whole community especially when so much of our history and heritage is under so much threat we only have to look to the Sydenham Youth Club now under threat and the home of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff now under threat the Smiles Family home on the Palmerston Road now demolished how can we be so care free with our children's heritage and history.The Palmerston Residents Association ask the councillors we addressed with this issue to become involved and help the community in the Sydenham area have full use of the Toilet Facilities at Victoria Park

Sydenham Youth Club (BELB) Palmerston Road Under Threat

The Palmerston Residents Association believes the future of the Sydenham Youth Centre on the Palmerston Road Sydenham Belfast Northern Ireland is under threat to be turned over to social housing this centre has been aloud torun into decay it has not been used now for some time.The association was told in july 2007 that the Sea Cadets would be using it for there meeting hall this new Development comes as a schock to The Residents Association as it feels that they have been let down we have all thought that it would have been good for the community and the area if the Sea Cadets had in fact got the hall as it would be good for the youth in the area and the community and we know the background of the Cadets and there long standing in East Belfast on its old site at East Bread Street. We now once more look to our local councillors and MLAs once again to step forward and save this centre for the community,this comes on the back of our fight to save the site on the station road known as The Den the home of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff as part of the East Belfast Shipbuilding History Sydenham realy is the community that is under threat once more by the planners

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Gustav Wilhelm Wolff Home The Den Still Under Threat

The Palmerston Residents Association is still trying to save the last remaing site the Den on Station Road Belfast Northern Ireland the home of Gustav Wilhelm Wolff one of the founders of the Belfast Shipyard, he also was one of the founders of the Belfast Ropework Company in East Belfast with Mr W Smiles of Westbank House, that once stood on a site on Palmerston Road.The Palmerston Residents Association has contacted the First and Deputy First Minister trying to save this site as part of the Belfast Shipbuilding History of Northern Ireland Please veiw or site at http://wwwpalmerston-residents-association.org email terryhoey@palmerston-residents-association.org