Belfast Council demanding answers from neighbouring Lisburn Castlereagh over poisoning of Cregagh Glen

A series of pollution incidents have been reported at Cregagh Glen, a small, picturesque wooded gorge, walking trail, stream and waterfalls located in East Belfast, and rising into the Castlereagh Hills.

The Glen is part owned by Belfast Council and the National Trust, but the source of the pollution is believed by many to come from works at a continuing residential development at lands north of Ballymaconaghy Road, which is in the area of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

The development in question is Mount Ober, a £50 million residential development located on the former Knockbracken Driving Range at Ballymaconaghy Road.

Councillors at the Belfast City Council Standards and Business Committee unanimously approved a motion put forward by Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth, to press the Chief Executive of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council for a full public account of its monitoring and enforcement of the planning application.

The motion states: “Belfast City Council notes that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council have a live enforcement case open in relation to an alleged breach of planning conditions due to works at Ballymaconaghy Road, Belfast. Condition 12 of the planning approval prohibits construction works within 10 metres of a watercourse, namely Cregagh Glen.

“This council is deeply concerned that LCCC have failed to provide any reassurance to either the public or elected officials that urgent steps are being taken to stop these works in accordance with the precautionary principles until there has been full compliance with the conditions.”

Belfast Council is demanding confirmation as to how often Lisburn Castlereagh City Council is inspecting the site and the wider Cregagh Glen to monitor for signs of pollution, and details of the pollution-prevention measures it has put in place.

City Hall wants wants Lisburn Castlereagh to publish the outcome of an investigation and strengthen safeguards for future development affecting the Cregagh Glen catchment.

Belfast councillors also agreed to work with the National Trust to establish a “Friends of Cregagh Glen” group to “enable residents to help protect one of East Belfast’s most beautiful natural assets.”

Councillor Smyth commented: “There have been at least six confirmed pollution incidents at Cregagh Glen since 2024. There is major development work going on further upstream in Lisburn and Castlereagh at the old Mount Ober site.

“I have had so many people say to me, there is something going on up there, it is not right and does not sit well. I went up a few times myself, and clearly there was something wrong with the water and the sediment.

“The response I got to a Freedom Of Information request from Lisburn and Castlereagh was not great, and so I have proposed this motion. I want heightened monitoring, and I want to know what sort of mitigations they are putting in place.

“Part of the problem around Cregagh Glen is that the issues are happening upstream, in Lisburn and Castlereagh, yet Cregagh Glen is part owned by Belfast Council and the National Trust.

"I want Lisburn and Castlereagh to deliver what is in the legislation in terms of keeping water courses clean and healthy during this development."