T ENV21-122 PEACE IV Riverine Community Park Shared Space Connections Project

Description

This tender, known as Shared Spaces Connections Project, will provide a continuation and develop upon an existing Shared Spaces DCSDC Peace IV project, which is cross-community and focuses on Strabane and the surrounding rural areas, including Donegal. This tender is specifically for the development and delivery of a programme of cross-community, cross-border project for local communities to contribute creatively to the development of the Riverine Community Park in the Strabane/Lifford area. The objective of the programme for deliverers is to bring communities together and research issues which have impacted on shared space and it will be led predominantly by the community and voluntary sectors. The Riverine Community Park Project is funded by the SEUPB PEACE IV Programme 2014–2020 as a shared space capital development together with the Dept. for Communities (NI) and the Dept. for Communities and Rural Development (ROI). Donegal County Council (DCC) are the Lead Partner for the Project while Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) act as Project Partner. The Riverine Community Park Project aims to address the impact of the conflict in the Lifford and Strabane areas, and its hinterlands, by regenerating the border riverside area to create an iconic, cross-border, community park straddling the River Foyle. It will be a shared space to bring communities together from both sides of the border, to re-connect and to form new, long-lasting connections and relationships. The Riverine Community Park project proposes to create 30 acres of new community park space and infrastructure at Lifford and Strabane. It proposes to create a neutral, shared space by utilising agricultural land lying along either side of the border. It will span both sides of the River Foyle and be connected by a new pedestrian and cycle bridge. The Councils propose that this diversity of offering will make for a more inclusive and sharing experience. The Shared Spaces project will work with key community organisations to develop and/or strengthen cross-border and cross-community relationships. The town/rural hinterland trend from Partition through the Troubles until now has been of declining residential patterns and dis-engagement of the PUL periphery communities from Strabane and Lifford town centres. This project aims to reverse that trend, with a focus on the Riverine Community Park as a Shared Space to act as a catalyst for regional change in the area. Whilst there is not currently a shared outdoor public space locally within the capacity of the future Riverine project, the communities can establish the shared patterns of working through joint workshops and activities. They can, ultimately, agree a shared community engagement programme contributing to the end usage of the site. The activity programme will seek to tackle hard issues encouraging communities to both “raise their heads” and “raise their voices”. Activities will include capacity building in community development practice, media training, strategic planning and lobbying skills. Please refer to CfT document for further detail