Nature must be 'priority' in park opening hours changes
The consultation, which ends on Wednesday, focuses on five of the city's parks, namely, Ormeau Park, Woodvale Park, Falls Park, Botanic Gardens and Belmont Park.
Currently, these parks operate under the council's standard "dawn to dusk" opening hours, extending to 22:00 BST in the summer.
A council spokesperson said they where inviting "feedback on a variety of options around extended opening hours".
Belfast based nature charity Wild Belfast has said "protection must be a priority" if a consultation by the council leads to park opening hours being extended.
Conor McKinney, chair of Wild Belfast, said "in principal" they supported the councils decision to consult the public on the issue.
"The public cannot be expected to protect nature if they do not have access to nature."
He added that "nature is in crisis" with Northern Ireland "ranked 12th worst out of 240 countries for biodiversity loss".
Wild Belfast's main concern is with the lighting which would be needed to accommodate extra opening hours
"It is vital that any lighting introduced alongside 24-hour opening does not disturb species," Mr McKinney said.
The charity have already observed the impact light disturbance can have on Belfast species.
Mr McKinney highlighted how new lighting introduced in 2020 on the Albert Bridge in Belfast had affected the starling population.
He added that the council should look at evidence from other parts of the UK and beyond who have introduced similar opening hours.
Botanic Gardens is one of the parks which is being discussed as part of the consultation.
Adam Bayhan lives close by and has witnessed some disruptive behaviour in the past.
"We love this park and it's a beautiful place to hang out... some people could do something that could damage this natural beauty. I do not wish to see that," he said.
"We're meant to protect this area, for us, for the animals and nature."
Anti-social behaviour is also a concern for Sean Murray.
"I think it encourages more people to be out on the streets late at night if the parks are open later, which I don't think is a great idea to be honest with you," he said.
Sean said the area would be hard to police, given the park's many entrances and shrubbery.
Susan Maxwell, who walks in Botanic Gardens often, said the current arrangements suit her fine.
"I wouldn't walk through a park at night because I would just feel very vulnerable, so I would only walk in the park during the day," she said.
She added while the later hours might be more appealing to younger people, she would worry about them getting home late at night.
Eimear Murphy and Nancy Lynn live in student areas near Botanic Gardens.
Nancy admitted it could be beneficial to keep the parks open later in spring but the current summer curfew of 22:00 works.
"I think 24/7 could end up being a bit dangerous," she added.
"If it was opening late there would definitely need to be patrols on and street lights and stuff like that."
Safety is also Eimear's biggest concern, pointing to the case of Sarah Everard - a 33-year-old woman who was abducted, raped and murdered by a London police officer as she walked home in 2021.
"I think if you were to extend it, there would need to be rangers or people working here because the council do drive around every so often but if it was open late I wouldn't feel safe walking by myself," she said.
In 2022, a woman was seriously sexually assaulted in Botanic Gardens late at night.
Aidan McGourty is similarly worried about the safety of those using the park at night.
"You wouldn't want parks open at night because kids will start drinking at night so I think it should be whenever there's daylight," he said.
"No matter how you do it, you would have people collecting and having parties, drinking and making a mess."
Alliance's Botanic Councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown said he was "delighted" the consultation was under way.
He said he thinks extra open hours will "enable more people to use the parks and their facilities", while "extending" the city's connectivity.
However, he did add that work would need to be done to ensure safety.
A council spokesperson said recent investment into improving lighting along the main pathways in some parks had created the opportunity to trial longer opening times.
They said they want to ensure the needs of the community are balanced with "considerations around viability, safety and environmental impact".
Findings of the consultation will be presented to councillors alongside recommendations.
If approved and funding is secured the council will run a pilot scheme, during which the new arrangements will be monitored.
A follow-up consultation will then assess the impact before any final decisions are made.
Families avoiding Falls Park due to 'criminality'
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