Safety appeal over hopes to pedestrianise private lane

Safety appeal over hopes to pedestrianise private lane

7 May 2025

A CALL has been issued for a privately owned town centre laneway in Ballynahinch to be pedestrianised.

The appeal to ban cars from Harmony Way – where the entrance to an independent school is located – has been issued by Rowallane councillor Callum Bowsie.

He said parents of children who attend Harmony Christian School, which was established six years ago by the New Testament Pentecostal Church based in Main Street, are concerned for their safety.

Cllr Bowsie said the school, which caters for children aged between four and 18, is located in a building which is also home to the church’s new café and book shop.

He said Harmony Way facilitates pedestrian access between Main Street and the Windmill Street car park in the town centre, but vehicles park along it.

“This laneway was always intended as a pedestrian route to allow a passage between Main Street and the town centre car park,” Cllr Bowsie explained.

“For many years it has been used as an unofficial free car park. The issue is that there is now a school on Harmony Way attended by children as young as four years of age.”

Cllr Bowsie said school parents have shared with him their “daily horror” at seeing drivers trying to reverse in and out of a tight dead-end lane, amidst dozens of pupils trying to navigate their way around these vehicles to get to the school entrance. 

And he said he has witnessed drivers attempting three-point turns to get their cars out of the lane “without any awareness of passing pedestrians”.

Cllr Bowsie said he can understand people want to park where it is free, but explained not only are there other free options nearby, the mere eight free parking spaces the lane offers should not be at the expense of pupil safety. 

“It is simply not safe for cars and vans to be manoeuvring in and out of a dark, narrow cul-de-sac, inches from the front door of a school,” he said.

“While staff from the school do their best to mitigate the risk, the street needs to be pedestrianised to reflect the presence of a school which continues to grow.”

Cllr Bowsie confirmed that the lane is privately owned and that he has been in contact with its owners to discuss possible solutions for any necessary vehicle access.