Seymour Hill community strategy launch

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council facilitated the launch of the Seymour Hill Community Audit and Development Strategy at Kilmakee Activity Centre recently. Its aim is to identify key issues of concern within Seymour Hill.

The development of the strategy was led by Seymour Hill Residents Group and the Dales Community Association.

There has been a strong partnership between the Council, the statutory agencies and the local Seymour Hill and Conway communities to develop this 10-year strategy, which addresses key issues identified through community consultations.

A Steering Group was established in April 2013 following the closure of Dunmurry High School in 2012 to develop a community development strategy for the area and to identify the best use of the school site. The group is comprised of local community representatives, local politicians including Jonathan Craig MLA and representatives from statutory agencies.

Local residents, local school, church and elected representatives, members of the Steering Group, and Council Officers, SEHSCT, NI Housing Executive and Connswater Homes staff, attended the launch.

Councillor Margaret Tolerton, Chair of the Seymour Hill Conway Community Plan Steering Group, said: “As a councillor for the area I would like to commend the level of engagement within the community to contribute to the audit and identify the key issues of concern within the area.

“The community leaders within the area have worked exceptionally hard alongside all the steering group partners to discuss how the area should be developed.”

Ian Snowden, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Department for Social Development commended the steering group. “Seymour Hill is an attractive place to live, as is demonstrated by the waiting lists for housing in the area,” he said.

“This is always a positive indication of a good community to live in; I wish the community well in its efforts to make it even better.”