Ards Borough Council has agreed to look at an alternative site on Portaferry Road for the building of a new community stadium.

Recent meetings of the authority's Council Services committee have heard councillors express disappointment at the slow progress on redeveloping Londonderry Park, where the council agreed two and half years ago to upgrade facilities and incorporate a new community owned arena.

Work on the site has been stalled since April while the council await permission from the landowners to proceed with the major aspects of the redevelopment. Recently council officers advised local representatives that some aspects of the scheme, such as replacements of existing hockey and football pitches, could proceed as planned without further delay. However the issue of probate, which landowner the Londonderry Estate was presently in, was delaying work on the stadium.

Councillors therefore voted to look at the feasibility of providing a sports stadium on council-owned land opposite Londonderry Park, adjacent to the Flood-gates. Prior planning permission had been given for a stadium on this site around ten years ago.

19th December 2011

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