Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has pledged £1.05 million of capital funding to help three local councils advance seven greenway and active-travel schemes across Northern Ireland. The money – offered as 50 per cent match funding – is intended to speed up lighting upgrades on existing routes in Derry and Belfast while moving three long-discussed greenways in the Newry area to detailed design stage.
Active-travel links are widely viewed as a low-carbon alternative to short car journeys, with potential benefits for public health, local connectivity and tourism. For residents who walk, wheel or cycle, better-lit paths can also improve the perception (and, in many cases, the reality) of safety after dark.
Targeted Investment in Local Greenways
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) wrote to councils earlier this year inviting bids for 50 per cent capital contributions towards greenway projects. Following assessment, letters of offer have now gone to:
- Derry City & Strabane District Council – Lighting upgrades for the Bay Road Greenway, Drumahoe Park and Greenway, and Foyle Valley Greenway.
- Belfast City Council – Construction of the Sydenham Greenway feeder through Alderman Thomas Patton Park, connecting to Holywood Road.
- Newry, Mourne & Down District Council – Feasibility and design work for three routes: Newry–Poyntzpass, Downpatrick–Ardglass, and the Ballynahinch “Spur”.
The £1.05 million allocation is spread across the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years, subject to standard public-expenditure approvals. Each council is expected to meet the remaining 50 per cent of capital costs, either from its own budget or other sources.
Ministerial Rationale
Minister Kimmins said the schemes align with DfI’s “seven Foundations for a Better Future”, notably the goal of creating “cleaner and greener connections”. She added that promoting walking, wheeling and cycling “is not just good for the environment but is also beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing”.
Information Missing or Unclear
- Overall project costs. The announcement lists DfI’s £1.05 million contribution but does not disclose the total price tag for each scheme or clarify where councils will find their matching funds.
- Delivery timetable. While funding spans two financial years, there is no start-date for on-site work or estimated completion dates.
- Maintenance commitments. Lighting and new path surfaces incur ongoing costs; the statement does not address who will fund long-term upkeep.
- Equity of access. Rural areas beyond the selected councils may wonder when they will see similar investment in safe active-travel links.
Wider Context and Considerations
The 2016 Northern Ireland Greenways Strategy set an aspirational 1,000 km network by 2040, yet only a fraction has been delivered to date. Recent data from the Department for Infrastructure show that just 1–2 per cent of all journeys here are cycled – lower than the UK average (DfI Travel Survey for Northern Ireland, 2024).
Against that backdrop, £1 million in match funding is welcome but modest. By comparison, Scotland’s active-travel budget for 2024/25 is £220 million. It would also be helpful to know whether the lighting upgrades will use low-carbon technologies such as solar-powered LEDs, and how any increase in perceived safety will be measured.
Questions for Further Scrutiny
- What are the estimated total costs and timelines for each of the seven schemes, and when will detailed project plans be published?
- How will councils finance their 50 per cent share without diverting resources from other essential services?
- Will the lighting projects incorporate energy-efficient technology and dark-sky principles to mitigate light pollution?
- How will success be monitored – for example, through counts of additional walking and cycling trips or reductions in short car journeys?
- Is there a longer-term plan to extend similar support to rural districts currently not in receipt of greenway funding?
What Happens Next
Councils must now complete feasibility, design and procurement work in order to draw down the promised match funding. Stakeholders – from community groups to commuting cyclists – may wish to engage with their local authorities as the schemes move into public consultation and planning.
As Northern Ireland seeks to cut transport-related carbon emissions by 56 per cent by 2030 (Climate Change Act (NI) 2022), incremental measures like these greenway investments take on added significance. Detailed costings, firm deadlines and transparent performance metrics will be key indicators of whether the projects deliver the “cleaner and greener connections” promised.