West Belfast residents seeing red over plans for sports facility on their only green space

Q Radio News

A west Belfast residents' group has staged a protest outside a local school over plans to site a new sports facility in their housing estate.

They say they're opposed to a plan by De La Salle College to build a 3G football pitch, pavilion and car park on the community’s only green space – Glassmullin Green.

Residents have been campaigning for more than five years and claim the college’s plan represents a “landgrab” against the wishes of the local community. 

Grainne Campbell joined the 'Save Our Green' protest as the school put its latest plans on display inside for local people to see...

Another resident and parent Aithne Kerrigan says the fight will go on ...

De La Salle says in developing the council owned location at Glassmullin, the needs of the local and wider community have been to the forefront of the school’s thinking.

Full statement issued Wednesday by De La Salle College - 

Glassmullin School and Community Sports Facility

The development and planning of facilities at Glassmullin by De La Salle College and Belfast City Council has been ongoing since 2103. Since then there has been comprehensive consultation and communication with the local and wider community and also with local sports groups, in addition to the wider school community of students, parents and teachers. The boys currently have no readily accessible outdoor sports provision; indeed the recommended provision for the boys should be 5 pitches. In developing the Council owned location at Glassmullin, the needs of the local and wider community have been to the forefront of the school’s thinking resulting in a design which maximises both school and community needs. Community provision will be additional to the existing indoor facilities in the De La Salle which are operating at maximum capacity for local sports clubs. 

The plans have been significantly revised three times following consultation, resulting in a final plan which meets school needs while making provision for extensive landscaped open space facilities for local residents. The sports provision now occupies under 50% of the land available with the remainder as managed landscape development.  There will be extensive availability of the facility for community use outside school hours including weekends and holidays, and the community will have a significant role in planning opening times, use of lighting and other operational issues. 

There has been a delay in the process of appointing a contractor due to the very high level of interest from the industry, with some 43 contractors expressing interest to undertake the work. The shortlisting of these to a manageable number was completed at the end of 2108 and tenders were subsequently issued to 6 contractors, with responses received at Christmas 2018.  The analysis of these tenders is almost complete at which point the school will engage again with community representatives and local residents.  It is expected that the preferred contractor will be able to commence works by Easter, with works completing in early Spring 2020.

Derek Baker, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education said; “The Department welcomes that the pupils of De La Salle College will soon have this new sports facility and that it will also be available out-of-school hours to other young people and the wider community in the area.  The new pitch and pavilion, which are being provided under the Department’s Schools Enhancement Programme, will reduce the time pupils spend travelling in buses to use facilities in other schools, when they could be undertaking their sporting activities” 

The resulting design will ensure complementary provision for the boys and the local community. De La Salle College is very aware of its role in the local community providing high quality education provision for our students and a valuable community resource. This major £1.6 million investment in school and community facilities in West Belfast will address both the significant under provision of outdoor sports provision in De La Salle College while providing opportunity for extensive community use of both the sports facilities and the landscaped garden areas. The school will work closely with our neighbours and community partners in the management of this exciting new facility until its opening around Easter 2020 and thereafter.

The latest detailed plans of the facility will be available in the school Foyer on 3 April between 6pm and 8pm and we are inviting all our neighbours and community partners to visit the school then to view the plans and discuss with Governors and senior management the potential of this major investment for the area.