The East Belfast Alleviation Scheme

Question 1

what is connswater community greenway?

Answer 1

a £32 million scheme to create a 9km linear park following the Knock, loop and conns water rivers.

Question 2

how many properties does it protect?

Answer 2

1,700 properties

Question 3

what was the aim of phase 1?

Answer 3

this was completed in 2015. it included the re-routing of the knock river through Orangfield Park in a residential area of East Belfast.
The aims were to provide improved flood protection to nearby homes and to develop the river as a key environmental feature of the public park amenity.

Question 4

what types of environmental restoration did the new plans include?

Answer 4

• the scheme started with the removal of the existing hard engineered concrete channel
• the new plan incorporated environmental restoration with a wider, winding, more natural channel created.
• wetland habitats were designed adjacent to the new channel
• a new pedestrian bridge is realigned this channel
• grassland and wetland ponds designed to flood and temporarily store flood water

Question 5

what hard and soft engineering systems were included?

Answer 5

hard = flood walls and culverts
soft = wildflower meadows and ponds