Saintfield community park could be reality as US benefactor visits

Saintfield community park could be reality as US benefactor visits

19 January 2022

AMBITIOUS plans for a new heritage community park in Saintfield could finally come to fruition in the spring of 2024, it has been revealed.

Saintfield Development Association is spearheading the drive for the new facility on land known locally as the Windmill Field, adjacent to the new community centre at the Belfast Road.

A bid for funding to help pave the way for the new park, which is also being financially supported by American benefactor David Moffett whose ancestors emigrated to the USA from nearby Leggygowan, has been submitted to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It is hoped that a decision on the funding application will be made by March.

The application includes a proposal to stabilise the three remaining stone buildings at the site of the proposed park and make them safe for future generations to visit and learn about the industrial heritage of two windmills, two watermills and railway. 

In the latest edition of Saintfield News, the association described progress with the planning application for the proposed community park as “slow, but steady”.

The application is seeking permission for a change of use from agricultural to amenity use for the public. All statutory consultees bar one have now given the proposal their approval, with discussions with the final consultee in progress.

Association officials say the planning application covers only the paths, pond, fencing and information panels associated with the field close to the community centre.

“Many hours have been put in completing the application to the Heritage Fund which was submitted at the end of November with a decision due in March,” Saintfield News confirms, explaining that if the bid is successful, it will be for the development phase of the project.

“This will probably take one year and will include detailed measurements of the scheduled monument buildings, work plans, costings for stabilising these and obtaining scheduled monument consent and planning approval for these works. 

“At the end of this development phase a further application to the Heritage Fund would be made for the delivery phase of the project. “

The association says that if this was successful and all went well, the park and windmill would be opened to the public in the spring of 2024. 

However, if the Heritage Fund application is unsuccessful, the association will proceed with the proposal, but the work would exclude the scheduled monument area.

“This would be fenced off as unsafe and left as is,” reports Saintfield News. “Competition for Heritage Fund grants is very competitive and many other projects in Northern Ireland  will be applying. It will be a great achievement if we are successful. 

“This is probably the only source of funding that can preserve the windmill and the other two buildings of the scheduled monument for future generations. Without this funding, the buildings will continue their slow decline and will eventually collapse.”

Meanwhile, the man who is supporting the community park proposal visited Saintfield recently.

Mr Moffett has already made a substantial donation to the association to enable it to purchase the Windmill Field. 

During his visit, Mr Moffett had an opportunity to walk around the field and visualise how the proposed community park would surround the ancient windmill and caretaker’s home that is part of Saintfield’s history. He also met a number of residents at the community centre before visiting Rowallane Garden for a guided tour.

Mr Moffett concluded the first day of his visit with a visit to the Belfast Road community centre to view the new facility and was impressed at the potential of fitting out the remaining empty buildings which would include a heritage area to complement the planned windmill park.

Mr Moffett, who also played a round of golf at Royal County Down and visited the Mournes, said the beauty of Co Down, with its unique visitor sites and the central location of Saintfield, reinforced in his mind the importance of the windmill park project and the heritage centre. 

The third and final day of his visit was spent at a local shop exploring the location of his family’s 18th century farm in Leggygowan. 

Mr Moffett said: “Exploring my family history was a wonderful way to end my visit to Saintfield. I look forward to returning soon and continuing to work on our shared interest in completing the windmill park project and heritage centre.”