CONCERNS have been raised about the involvement of UVF terrorist Winston 'Winkie' Irvine in a multi-million pound project founded through European peace money with the support of the Irish government.
SITE: The Old Mackies site in west Belfast. Inset, UVF boss Winston 'Winkie' Irvine
Mr Irvine was one of two men arrested earlier this month by police investigating a hoax bomb alert targeting the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in north Belfast in March. He later appeared in court charged with several offences including procession of firearms and over 2000 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances.
DRCD minister Heather Humphreys is a Fine Gael colleague of Mr Coveney. The planned project is designed to connect parks and open spaces along a 12km route in north and west Belfast and takes in the old Mackies site in west Belfast. Last month the High Court quashed a decision to grant planning permission for the scheme.
Earlier this week Chloe Trew, director of Participation and Practice of Rights (PPR), who spoke on behalf of Take Back the City Coalition, wrote to the interested parties, including representatives and officials at Belfast City Council, highlighting Mr Irvine's involvement in organisations that support the controversial project including Twaddell and Woodvale Residents Association, of which he remains a director.
Take Back The City hoping to see better use of the land at Mackies to build sustainable homes.
His role at Intercomm Ireland, where he is employed, has also been highlighted. Ms Trew said on Wednesday: "We have raised serious concerns about the process and how council is using EU and Irish government peace funding for a project which both ignores the rights of thousands of families in housing need, and embeds sectarian division and territorial claims for generations to come."
The SEUPB last night said its chief executive had received a letter from PPR, on behalf of the Take Back the City Coalition, and "has noted its contents". A Belfast City Council spokesperson said: "As there is an ongoing PSNI/RUC investigation in relation to the individual concerned it would be inappropriate for the council to comment in this regard. "Any objections or correspondence received in relation to this application will be considered as part of the planning process."
Earlier this week the Take Back the City Coalition highlighted Mr Irvine's involvement in organisations that support the controversial project.
In a letter to interested parties Chloe Trew, director of Participation and Practice of Rights, raised various concerns about the project, which is due before the planning committee again next week. The coalition, which wants to see some social housing built on the site, has voiced concern that the application for the greenaway has been "rushed".
Focusing on other potential issues, the pressure group claimed that the current plans "are at risk of creating a 21st century 'green-washed' interface - embedding and reinforcing sectarian division in Belfast and territorial claims for generations to come". They also claim the current plans will "in effect declare Mackie's a 'no-go zone'" for homes. Significantly, links between Mr Irvine and the project have also been highlighted.
Mr Irvine is listed as a director of Twaddell and Woodvale Residents Association, which according to Belfast City Council's own report was asked for "further additional consultation" in relation to the project. The link between Mr Irvine and his employer Intercomm Ireland, which is involved in peace building, is also highlighted. A spokeswoman for Sustrans, which encourages people to walk and cycle, last night said Belfast City Council asked it to deliver a volunteer project on the Forth Meadow Greenway and that it "teamed up with Intercomm Ireland", which carried out mediation training. The spokeswoman added that Mr Irvine was "part of a three-person team we engaged with for the first couple of months".
In a report due to be presented at next week's planning committee meeting it is claimed that funding linked to the project is "timebound" and must be spent by December. It was claimed over £2m has been spent to date and with a warning "non-complaince risks clawback".The report warned that "any delay in terms of the timeline risks the founding for the project and the risk of financial and reputational implications for the council".
"Mrs Trew last Wednesday said: "A sensible solution is on the table, developed by homeless families in partnership with local and international experts, which can deliver a Greenway," founding for communities and homes. We urge elected representatives to reject this application and embrace the alternative."
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