Plans for new sports pitch at Omagh children’s home

A NEW Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) could be constructed at a children’s home in Omagh if planning permission is granted.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust has submitted an application to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for the facility at the Woodland’s Children’s Home on the Beltany Road.

If approved, the development will include a new 2G synthetic pitch and associated works. The Western Trust says the project represents an investment in the home’s facilities and will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose games area to enrich the lives of the children who live there.

“This proposal aligns with the Children and Young People’s Strategy NI by enhancing physical and mental health infrastructure for vulnerable youth,” said Robert Clarke, assistant health of project procurement for the Western Trust in a planning statement attached to the application.

“The MUGA games pitch represents an improvement to community facilities at the children’s home, directly supporting the health, wellbeing and inclusion of vulnerable children.”

The new pitch will be built on an existing garden area and will not require the removal of any trees protected under the Coneywarren Tree Preservation Order.

Plans also include a 1.2-metre-high spectator fence, a three-metre-high ball-stop fence behind the goal area, and the integration of goals and a basketball hoop into the fencing. The completed 2G sand-filled synthetic pitch will feature markings for five-a-side soccer, tennis and basketball.

Environmental measures form part of the proposal, including the installation of bat and bird boxes and potential wildflower seeding or native planting along the site’s edges.