Residents living near the site on the Ballyhenry Road and local councillors have been fighting the Department for Regional Development plan for more than four years. However, now it seems the scheme is on the verge of getting the green light.

While Planning Service this week recommended approval for the project, that decision is to be deferred for a month to give the Minister an opportunity to respond to letters of appeal from objectors - both politicians and local residents.

The Mayor, alderman Nigel Hamilton, wrote to the Roads Minister last week to make a final plea for him to intervene on behalf of local residents.

The DUP representative claims that a park and ride beside Dorchester would attract crime and anti-social behaviour to the area and would do nothing to improve congestion at the notoriously busy Sandyknowes junction.

In his letter, the Mayor describes the Ballyhenry Road location as "an inappropriate site and one which adds no value to the park and ride concept."

"There have been 877 objections which appear to have had the effect of reducing the number of spaces at the park and ride site from 137 to 92. However, this is not addressing the core issue which is that the location is totally inappropriate for a park and ride facility. There are understandable concerns from residents regarding crime and anti-social behaviour as an open, unsecured car park will undoubtedly attract thieves to the area," he said.

"Reducing the number of car parking spaces will do nothing to reassure local residents and may only exacerbate problems. Many commuters will find that on arriving at the car park there are no available spaces left and will park in the residential streets of Dorchester.

"The current plans for park and ride will do nothing to combat the current congestion problem and the proposal does not meet the strategic requirements for the Belfast Metropolitan Plan.

"The Park and Ride concept is a very good one, but location is key. It would seem a better option to locate a sizeable park and ride scheme at an appropriate site like that at Global Point, located away from Sandyknowes roundabout, capable of holding in excess of 2,000 cars and suitable for increased bus services," the DUP man added.

Several members of the local residents' committee which has been fighting the park and ride plan were at Mossley Mill on Tuesday evening to hear confirmation from the council's Planning and Consultation Committee that approval of the scheme has been deferred.

Among the main arguments put forward by residents is that Roads Service is both applicant and statutory consultee on the proposed development. They point to objections made by Roads Service to private planning applications at the site in 1987 and 1992 and have called for a new traffic impact assessment to be carried out.
"This is still a public, unsecured car park in a residential area, which will intrude on privacy, cause noise and disturbance both during the day from users of the car park and at night from youths with drink taken," one concerned resident commented.