A wake for Lough Neagh. The climate & biodiversity crisis is at our door. Years of inaction, neglect and environmental destruction at the hands of the executive parties. Going for growth has directly led to this point, your empty words mean little now.
Tonight
@belfastcc
has agreed to my proposal that we invite Castlebrooke in to present to the Council in August on what exactly they're doing/not doing with the Cathedral Quarter site. It's not good enough that such a huge part of our city centre is left to wreck & ruin.
So this just happened! 🙈 Absolutely delighted to be the first
@GreenPartyNI
Deputy Lord Mayor! Its an honour & privilege & I cant wait for the year ahead! Could get used to the jewellery too! 😂 Shout out to Christopher Stewart hairdressing who sorted me out in my hour of need!
Last night at Planning Ctte I got agreement that
@belfastcc
will look at establishing a city architect for Belfast. As a city theres so much more we can do to promote good design & protect & enhance our built heritage. This as a strategic way to change our culture & do better!
*Cathedral Quarter Planning Decision*
Tonight I voted against the Tribeca Development proposed for Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.
Belfast City Council must drive regeneration not gentrification. The needs of our communities must take precedence over the desires of developers.
Before the madness starts again, I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone in Botanic who came out & voted for me. I am absolutely honoured & it will be a privilege to work for you these next 4 yrs on
@belfastcc
. I still can't quite believe it.. I TOPPED THE POLL!!! 💚
Creating a sustainable, liveable & vibrant city should be an agenda we're all signed up to but it's beyond infuriating to have to continuously fight the most basic of battles with DfI. Streets are for people & there is an alternative way of doing things.
I'm so unbelievably happy to be re-elected as a cllr for another 4 years! Its been a rollercoaster & I've no doubt the next 4 will be the same, but I'm devastated that
@oharamal
will not be in the chamber with us this time.. but we go on & we fight for the climate & for this city
Delighted to say
@belfastcc
planning ctte tonight unanimously rejected app to demolish Havelock House & build 270 build-to-rent apts. I was pleased to speak against alongside
@Tracybelfast1
&
@EmmetMcDB
& its a testament to the dedication of residents & campaigners
@DPCForum
💪🙌
Another afternoon faced with this lot in town. When I refused a leaflet from a young guy was asked "And why not?!". Confrontational & traumatising. This is why I tabled a motion last month at
@belfastcc
to regulate this. Hoping to get crossparty support in Aug to help progress.
Naw, seriously!? Violence against women is systemic. This is really concerning & root cause of misogyny needs addressed but are we really still telling women to moderate their behaviour? How about telling men to moderate theirs & not go about stabbing women?!
I think it's a sad state of affairs when I have to stand up in
@belfastcc
to remind members to have a bit of respect for their fellow cllrs & not be so condescending. We're all elected on our merits, don't discredit people & what they say simply cos they're young/a woman etc.
Delighted to get unanimous support at
@belfastcc
for
@ClareBaileyGPNI
Private Members Bill to create safe access zones at reproductive healthcare centres. Everyone has a right to access healthcare safely, in private & with respect, we must do better for women & pregnant people.
Ecstatic to see this stunning historic building brought into council ownership & put to good use! Even happier the news is now public cos I was struggling to houl my wheest on this one! 🤣 For too long this city has neglected its built heritage, I hope those days are behind us!❤
Brilliant news to start the day... we're thrilled to announce that the former Bank of Ireland building on Royal Ave is to be transformed into a new visitor attraction for Belfast, a flagship project within
#BRCityDeal
. Stay tuned for more about
#BelfastStories
later this morning!
Right lads, it might seem like great craic wrecking it round the
#Holylands
on 17th, but it's not. It's not cute & truthfully, it never was.
#COVID
ー19 doesn't make exceptions & we all need to do our bit. Don't be an irresponsible gobshite & put more strain on emergency services!
#COVID
ー19 makes Holylands
#StPatricksDay
“parties” more unsafe and irresponsible than ever before.
@ClareBaileyGPNI
said:
“Our Health Service & first responders mustn’t be diverted away from dealing with & preparing for Covid-19.
“Show civic duty & stay away.”
Today Belfast should have been filled with the incredible sights & sounds of Pride. Instead, you walk through cornmarket to be screeched at by anti-choice 'preachers', with giant graphic fake billboards & someone attempts to 'save' you, having to be told multiple times to go away
Hearing a young mother had to leave her home with her 3 kids last night in Holylands area due to extent of the disturbance. This isnt on. This isnt *normal* behaviour. I hold landlords & gov responsible for deliberate running down of area, but you cannot absolve those doing this
Astounded by DUP, SF and PBP refusing to support my motion to withdraw our support for private taxis in bus lanes. What agenda are they supporting because its not one that promotes public transport or safe cycling.. again for those in the back, BUSES DON'T CAUSE CONGESTION! 🤦♀️
I feel sorry for people not on twitter, I mean how do they even know whats going on without
@BBCJayneMcC
's tweets?
@niexecutive
as a whole need to step up & actually act like a gov. Drip feeding info, dithering & playing the blame game looks well when people need leadership
Police cordon in place around the Scottish Mutual Building after a chunk of sandstone has fell off in the early hours. Luckily noone was hurt. I've been speaking with council & efforts are being made to get the administrators to survey the building to ensure its safety & (1/3)
Glad to see
@Briansmyth99
again managed to defer a decision at licensing last night to remove pavement cafe licenses from Voodoo & City Picnic at the request of DfI. Businesses in our city centre are on their knees & they need our support, DfI need to step up (1/2)
Incredibly disappointed that tonights planning ctte
@belfastcc
rubberstamped unauthorised work at George Best Hotel, that clearly showed a lack of respect for the architectural & structural integrity of this Grade B1 Listed building. I spoke against as did HED but to no avail.
Standing with communities & orgs across the city today that are facing brutal cuts to funding. Vital services like South Belfast Sure Start are under threat from this cruel budget- it's absolutely senseless & good to see people rising up & fighting the madness of it all!
Crying happy tears this morning! So proud of
@ClurBailey
! This is HUGE for women, girls & pregnant people in NI (& indeed now across the UK). We have a right to access lawfully available healthcare in privacy, without fear of harassment or intimidation. We freaking did it!!! 😭🥳
NEW: The Supreme Court unanimously decides the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Northern Ireland) Bill is within the legislative competence of the Assembly.
Im so proud of
@ClareBaileyGPNI
&
@rachelwoods52
. Theyre shining lights for so many of us in a usually grim world of NI politics, hardworking & inspirational honestly doesnt even cut it with these two. We've thrown everything at it & look at what we've done! Incredible legacy! 💚
It has been such a privilege to have been a South Belfast MLA. I am so proud of the team I have had with me & all we achieved in the time. Thank you to everyone who voted
#Green
#AE22
💚
Absolutely baffled by the arguments put forward by SF & DUP on a VIRTUAL MEETING why
@belfastcc
can't resume committee meetings virtually... We are elected to represent our constituents & we have a duty to them to ensure we take decisions that are transparent & accountable.
Absolutely delighted to say my motion on Writers Square passed!!
@CommunitiesNI
must give appropriate consideration to the depth of feeling on this- public space must be retained & enhanced for public use.
#SaveCQ
If anyone is interested in how your cllrs represent your interests at
@belfastcc
its worth rewatching tonights meeting. My proposal to reject our attendance at
#MIPIM
was supported only by PBP. Everyone else happy enough to go off & hawk our city in the south of France (1/4)
Why is decriminalisation & trusting women so hard a concept for some to grasp? These past few weeks have been hard to stomach. I feel utterly let down yet again as a woman in NI.
#abortionishealthcare
#trustwomen
Here,
@Doiregaa
are you having an absolute laugh??? Way to show lessons learnt from the Rory Gallagher debacle.
@officialgaa
need to step up & support women, I'd suggest some training from
@RaiseURVoiceNI
as a bare minimum. 🤬🤯
#IBelieveHer
Delighted to propose free access to leisure services for asylum seekers at
@belfastcc
. Its been agreed w/concessionary access for refugees & to look at reducing costs overall. Serious credit to
@Migration_Just
&
@LawCentreNI
& my party colleague
@oharamal
for their work on this!
The Planning Committee at
@belfastcc
will have 20 members next term after my proposal was accepted today! Inexplicably, it only had 14 (the rest have 20). This will really help to make the ctte more representative & hopefully lead to better scrutiny of applications going forward!
Hill St... I thought this was supposed to be pedestrianised
@deptinfra
? The number of taxis flying through the sign & ignoring the people walking on the cobbles suggests otherwise... Any chance of something other than a moveable sign??
Are we supposed to buy this? Public land is simply that. Public. No developer has a right to it & trying to hold us to ransom over it while they have done nothing but allow an area to fall into dereliction is despicable. Do Castlebrooke have any respect for Belfast?
Piece in today's
@irishnewsbiz
looking at the current status of 'Tribeca Belfast'. It's approaching two years since outline planning permission was granted, but no new planning applications have emerged to progress the development...
And that's a wrap on our
#LE23
campaign!! Final doors are knocked & now it's just a waiting game until Saturday.. 😬Serious kudos to my amazing team who have been with me every step & have helped me knock over 10k doors these last few weeks. Remember tomorrow-
#WantGreenVoteGreen
My motion condemning these graphic & traumatising images was unanimously supported at
@belfastcc
& looking to bring forward ways to regulate properly. More important now than ever that we stop women facing targeted harassment, through this &
@ClareBaileyGPNI
work on buffer zones
A Belfast mum has been in touch to say how distressed she is that the SDLP office on Lower Ormeau near schools has been picketed by anti-abortionists. ‘They were protesting usual vile imagery used on their posters. They didn't care that small children had to be exposed to that’.
I am pro-choice. I trust women & pregnant people. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. I fail to grasp how anyone can claim to support decriminalisation & yet continue to think it's ok to put us on a boat.
#freesafelegallocal
#abortionishealthcare
Ahead of todays Assembly debate on abortion we are asking all MLAs to trust women.
Pregnant people must be given choice around reproductive healthcare that is:
✅ Free
✅ Safe
✅ Legal
✅ Local
#freesafelegallocal
#trustwomen
Im bringing a motion to
@belfastcc
on Mon with
@garymckeown
calling on
@CommunitiesNI
to respect the importance of Writers Square as an important civic space in any development brief & ensure
@BelCathedral
is protected. Let's enhance our public space for the benefit of all!
I am meeting with Castlebrooke tomorrow. While it's not a meeting in public session like we wanted, I welcome the chance to engage with them on their land ownership in the CQ. Are there any particular issues/questions you'd like me to raise? (Though I already have plenty..😅)
*TREE UPDATE*
Just had confirmation from
@deptinfra
that following a site meeting this morning theyre exploring an amendment to flood defences at Queens Quay. As such only 1 tree is being removed & a 2nd trimmed to facilitate the work while this option is explored.
@SaveOurLagan
Im astounded that
@duponline
and
@sinnfeinireland
have combined to defeat my amendment as below on the issue of abortion law reform. We can't keep criminalising women & preg. people & I cant fathom how parties can't support that. My rights are not a political football.
#nowforNI
All I want for Christmas is a reliable public transport system! Is it that hard to track a bus & relay the info to passengers or have translink just given up?
Any remedial work carried out. Honestly gutting to see a beautiful building like this go to wrack & ruin but that's what happens when you don't value built heritage. Developer should have been forced to look after it.(2/3)
Walking through our city centre today, witnessed young people counter-protesting the transphobic & homophobic hate preaching being berated & assaulted by an individual. Video taken & cops called but still waiting on them to intervene.
Absolutely thrilled & delighted for my
@greenparty_ie
colleagues who are killing it in these elections. Seeing so many inspirational young women in particular topping the poll is making my day! 😍
#GreenWave
#LE19
#EP2019
Tactical voting is all we have to maximise Remain voices & minimise the chance of another day spent under a Tory gov so I beg you to vote for the candidate most likely to make that happen in your area. In South Belfast, that's
@ClaireHanna
. No question about it.
#GE19
Its a shame my last official engagement as Deputy Lord Mayor was marred however by having to run the gauntlet of this lot who filmed & shouted nonsense at me, with the PSNI having to get them to backoff so I could safely get into my car. Didnt have this on my bingo card for today
Love to hear my proposal that we write to
@deptinfra
& ask them to introduce a reverse TPO system be called 'mad' & be resolutely rejected at Planning Ctte tonight- only PBP & PUP supported me. 🙃🤯 Tokenistic protection for trees isnt going to cut it, TPOs arent fit for purpose!
Lovely few hours down at
#OpenBotanic
today! Well done to
@SouthBelfastPB
@agusmartire
& all who put so much work into making this a success. You take away cars for a few hours & the place transforms into a liveable, vibrant area with young & old alike out enjoying the space!
I'm still fuming years on when advice of HED ignored by other cllrs & planning to enable bad development, under the poor guise of allowing the building to be brought back into use.. that worked out well didn't it! We warned them, the evidence was there but they simple didn't care
If you're out & about Belfast City Centre doing last minute shopping, do yourself a favour & pop in to the Bobbin
@lovelyloaf
in City Hall for the greatest Christmas sandwich of your life! Thank me later. Supporting a brilliant social enterprise too! 😋
My proposal to reject the adoption of a commercial plan for
@belfastcc
was finally accepted tonight after no support at ctte (pbp don't sit on it)! Thanks to PBP for their support & I welcome SF & SDLP moving on it but disappointed that DUP, Alliance, UUP & PUP think this is ok
Its hard to believe your eyes.. the horrors unfolding, urelenting & inhumane attacks on the people of Gaza, while the world watches, or worse, actively funds it. The UK must use its power to stop Israel, this is why we've been out since Oct & why we'll continue to.
#CeasefireNow
If you can afford it please consider donating to help the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association following the devastating fire attack at their premises. They've been supporting people throughout the pandemic, let's support them now when they need us.
404 trees to be felled & no evidence of need or that the precautionary principle had been applied. When are we going to learn our lesson here?? I'm not asking for much, just evidence of basic environmental law being followed..
#SystemFailNI
A Green Party councillor has said she is “deeply concerned” after a Belfast Council officer admitted the local authority was not complying with its own tree policy in recommending a new development at the Stormont Estate.
➡️
This is just nonsense. The fact SF & DUP are still squabbling like school kids is beyond comprehension. It's all so disingenuous- none of you gave a damn about my rights in the last decade you were in government. Unless you're focusing on the structures of NIA, it's all fluff.
The decision by SF/DUP to overrule the recommendation of South Belfast Cllrs & reduce the money for Sólás from £800k to £24k & cut out Hearth completely is appalling. Sense needs to prevail tonight & this insulting decision is overturned.
UPDATE: My motion on private-hire taxis in bus lanes was heard tonight at ctte. We need to prioritise sustainable transport in this city, rather than our obsession with the private car, if we're serious about tackling climate change & addressing our air quality crisis (1/2)
Clare is the reason I joined
@GreenPartyNI
, she has been a force to be reckoned with in the Assembly since 2016 & is currently bringing through 2 bills when most don't even manage 1! She has led from the front always, South Belfast needs it's Green MLA!
#WantGreenVoteGreen
This week
@belfastcc
I spoke out about the backward attitudes that are prevalent in
@deptinfra
& the lack of political vision from the traditional parties to empower councils, overhaul planning & create an infrastructure system that actually works for people & planet.
Fully support the campaign from Reclaim the Enlightenment to save the Assembly Rooms & bring it back into public use.
@GreenPartyNI
have been consistent on this & we will do all we can to try & save this important building in Belfast's cultural heritage (& all the others too..!)
*HOLYLANDS THREAD*
So the annual freshers chaos has started, though even saying that is a misnomer cos it never really stopped. No one needs my condemnations for behaviour we all know is wrong & wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else, they're no use to residents, students &
Time for the awful canvassing selfies to make a return! 🙈 If you want to help out with our campaign to retain our seat in Botanic, give me a shout!
#WantGreenVoteGreen
Out knocking doors for 1st time in 2022 with
@SBelfastGreens
, might just be a few more between now & May...! Hopefully won't all be quite so damp though! If you've got a few hrs spare over next while & think it's time to put climate front & centre of NI politics, come join us!
Its utter madness to me that
@deptinfra
saw the understandable anger & sadness last wk & ploughed on ahead anyway, without taking a min to ask if what they were doing was necessary & provide people w/assurances around what theyre doing. Once a tree is gone, we can't get it back.
Green Cllr
@AineGroogan
has called on the Infrastructure Minister to pause construction on the Lagan towpath to ensure that no more trees will be cut down unnecessarily.
First time in a meeting at City Hall in over a year & I'm chairing it!! Looking forward to an exciting year ahead as Chair of the Strategic Policy & Resources Ctte!! 🙌
I'm already in love! 😍 Only at a
@GreenPartyNI
exec meeting would you end up taking in a wee rescue 🤣 Thank you
@declanw
! Apologies for my inability to do anything else from now on. Name suggestions welcome!
Out & about in South Belfast today with this fab group of
@GreenPartyNI
activists! If there are any local issues we can help you with give us a shout- southbelfastgreenparty
@gmail
.com!
Have spoken with
@belfastcc
to ask them to respect
@ys4cbelfast
right to protest- this action was taken in error and have been assured that they will not be interfering again.
#ClimateEmergency
I proposed back in December that we look at moving to a full electric vehicle for the Lord Mayor & I'm glad that we were able to get agreement today to proceed with this. I did originally propose a bike too but I'm told the chain needs a wee bit more security than that!
I again have urgently asked
@deptinfra
to pause this work! Awaiting an answer. Noone is saying the flood alleviation work shouldnt happen, we're just asking for proper assurances that this is the right way to do it. The chainsaw hasnt been set down for half an hour to even check!
We had great fun today helping Glenveagh School tidy up their unfort ltd outside space. Hope to turn it into a more usable, friendly space for their students over next few wks as need it now more than ever w/
#Covid19
. Give me a shout if you're up for helping!
#BuildBackBetter
In more positive news Im glad our proposal at People & Communities to reject the Bright Lights event from reoccurring this yr has been ratified by full Council tonight! It's a testament to the local community who have organised & advocated for appropriate use of our public parks
At what point are Belfast City Council going to step up to the plate re this city's development? I'm seeing a city carved out between developers & communities left out in the cold. Time for change!
#CommunityPlanning
This is not my Belfast. I passed a motion last year seeking to regulate this type of graphic imagery & honestly, we can't get this passed quick enough. Belfast is supposed to be safe, inclusive & welcoming to all.
Im so proud of
@AntoFlynnser
@SeamasBelfast
&
@oharamal
! Powerful & moving contributions tonight on why banning conversion therapy has to happen. It's galling that they even have to sit here & make these arguments still & worse that there's still some needing convinced. ❤️🏳️🌈
This is where we're at. In 2023. Dysfunctional doesn't even begin to cover this place anymore. The DUP refusal to go into gov is shameful, but let's also not pretend the 'governing' before that was all rosey. This is the product of decades of poor decision-making & underfunding
Delighted to be selected to contest the newly formed Belfast South & Mid Down constituency for the Greens! The diversity of SB is something I'm so proud of & I feel that I can be a candidate to represent everyone, no matter their background. If you
#WantGreenVoteGreen
#GE24
🗣 Candidate announcement!
Green Party Councillor for Botanic, Áine Groogan will stand to represent Belfast South & Mid Down in the upcoming Westminster election
Greens are putting forward a radical vision for a Greener, Cleaner, Fairer NI
On Thurs 4th of July, vote Green X
I don't believe the Council should adopt a business-like ethos or look at provision of services on the basis of cost. That's a path that doesn't end well for people in this city. We are a public authority first & foremost & that should be what underpins our decisions.
👇This! Despite the anger at what happened today, we need to be clear that early medical abortion services are available for those that need it. Important to get that message out & not let the story of politicians who prefer 19th century healthcare dominate mainstream narrative!
Despite today's events at Stormont things are changing. Early medical abortion services are available with
@ICNI2019
providing the Central Access Point. The commissioning of services is now urgently needed to enable full access in line with the regulations
#nowomanleftbehind
It was great to be at
@LinenQuarterBID
launch of the refurbished Bankmore Green during the week. Great work by the team turning this project around so quick. 👏 Keep your eyes peeled for some animation & activity in the space over the coming weeks & get down & check it out!