A privileged glimpse into nature

The coastal path, beautiful on a wintry day, remains largely unchanged from its appearance over the centuries.

Anyone weaving along the miles of its length today can connect with our natural heritage in a very immediate way, in an experience little changed for centuries. Today, on the anniversary of the death of St Columbanus, it's worth noting that the monks of the 600s walked these very shores at the earliest stages of Bangor's existence.

We have been the inheritors of the infrastructure put in by our Victorian forebears. The path as it is has settled into the landscape and badgers, foxes, otters, hedgehogs and other wildlife simply make their journeys to and fro unseen, in the quiet parts of the day, leaving only subtle tracks for us to notice where they have been, if we look closely.

Recently we have been talking to ecologists to begin to build up a picture of these quiet wild neighbours of ours who's homes will be affected by the major infrastructure project planned. We believe it is our privilege to have the level of access we already have as cyclists and walkers along this coastal path. But we don't believe that anyone's interests will be properly served by the massive widening and straightening project that is planned. The members of our team who cycle regularly want to see improvements to Inland cycling routes instead.

Just because there's money for the project, doesn't make it right to put the infrastructure in this location. Ballymacormick point has been spared the huge urbanisation because of its nature conservation status, and the greenway path has been moved inland to the Warren Road. We believe a similar solution would be excellent for this section from Bangor to Holywood. We can celebrate this ancient path and promote its wild beauty for the purposes of drawing tourism perfectly as it is. There are of course specific sections that need a little sensitive upgrading but that's a far cry from planning application LA06/2020/0530/F.

If you agree the path should remain largely unchanged, and supporting the wild creatures who will be disturbed by this major project, then write to the planning department, details on our homepage.