Long hails Connswater funding progress but is sad that Titanic will miss out

11.06.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 19th Oct 2007

Alliance East Belfast MLA Naomi Long

East Belfast Alliance MLA Naomi Long has hailed news that the Connswater Community Greenway initiative has gone one step closer to a massive lottery funding boost but she revealed her disappointment that the Titanic Signature project had not. It was announced that the Connswater Greenway scheme has got through to the next round in the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks Project and the East Belfast Partnership will put forward its plans to the funding committee on November 6.

Naomi Long MLA said: "Its great news that the Connswater Community Greenway project has made it through to the next round in this funding competition. This is massive project and the support available from the Big Lottery Fund will help boost the area right the way down from the Castlereagh Hills to Belfast Lough.

"This exciting scheme gives us the potential to regenerate large swathes of East Belfast and will have a very positive economic knock-on effect for the area. It will help boost our local landscape, breathe life into our rivers and provide more green spaces.

"Clearly, it's a day of mixed feeling because were are delighted about the green light being given for the greenway to go onto the next round, but we are all disappointed that the Titanic Signature Project did not through.

"Whilst this is a setback for the Titanic vision, I would hope that it won't in any way endanger project.

"I believe that the Titanic Signature Project is strong enough to stand up without this funding, although it would have been a welcome boost for the scheme. The great buzz around this ground-breaking initiative should hopefully be enough to carry it through."

ENDS