By Lesley Walsh
THE COMMUNITY group behind the development of the torched viewing platform in Donaghadee have expressed their ‘deep sadness’ at the arson attack at the weekend.
The blackened and charred remains of the structure, along with its attached, short walkway to the path encircling Crommelin Wood, had been a ‘landmark project’ championed by Donaghadee Community Development Association (DCDA).
It had been part of a wider restoration of the wetland area once occupied by Montgomery’s water corn mill and mill dam, dating back to the early 17th century.
The horseshoe-shaped wood is lined by Crommelin Park and its former hockey pitch on one side, private and social housing and farmland on its other boundaries, and incorporates 10 tree nursery plots managed by local groups, schools and even a local choir whose saplings are testament to the enthusiastic community buy-in to its development.
It features a nature trail dotted with sculptures, including one by noted sculptor Owen Crawford; it hosts bulb planting and a variety of other woodland activities from willow weaving and Easter egg hunts and teddy bears’ picnics, and hopes were high of staging a Christmas carol event this year.
Children from local schools, including those from Killard School, take part in regular environmentally-focused events, learning about local flora and fauna amid the mix of trees at the wood which include a variety from poplars, rowens, hawthornes, to willows, oaks and maples.
In the wake of the fire, the DCDA said it was ‘deeply saddened by the deliberate destruction of the wooden platform in Crommelin Woods’. The group is awaiting the outcome of a planning application to restore the wetland area as the next stage of the project.
It follows a trend of anti-social behaviour in the area, and while the body said ‘we fully acknowledge the lack of facilities for young people in the area, vandalism cannot be the answer’.
The chair of the DCDA, Denis Waterworth, and its treasurer, Adrian Kerr, visited the site on Monday morning and said the platform has been built with financial help from the local Co-op shop and the charity, Live Here Love Here.
They revealed that plans to build a walkway from the opposite side of what they described as a ‘basin’ in the centre of the woodland area, has been plunged into uncertainty.
They are not able to confirm yet either, whether the destroyed structure will be replaced.
Mr Kerr said ‘whether we replace it’ could depend on a claim the group intends to put in to see if recompense can be made to fund a new platform. “We might have to reconsider our plans,” he said, but considering the success achieved prior to Sunday’s arson incident, he added ‘it’s a great example of what the community can do’.
“One of the things we do need, is more community involvement and to get the community to keep an eye on it, otherwise the people who destroy it take it over.”
Liz McWatters, a horticultural volunteer on the DCDA committee, was adamant that despite the upset caused by the vandalism, ‘we will not let this deter us and we will keep chipping away at it’.
“Our vision remains unchanged: we want Crommelin Wood to be a welcoming, safe and natural space for everyone — families, walkers, wildlife enthusiasts, and young people alike.” The group appealed to the community to ‘stand with us, to speak up if they witness damage or disorder’ and urged anyone with information about the arson attack to contact police.
