Strabane club vows not to give up on sports complex

THE chairman of Strabane Athletic Football Club (SAFC) has criticised the Department of Infrastructure following a new decision to refuse planning permission for an elite sporting complex for the town.

Seamus McElroy says the club feels “let down” by Permanent Secretary Julie Harrison’s resolution to decline the application for a multi-sport facility on lands adjacent to Ardnalee/Knockavoe and Holy Cross College.

It is now a decade since Strabane Athletic announced plans to develop its very own elite sporting complex, which would include an outdoor pitch as well as Ireland’s first full size indoor 3G pitch.

Ambitious plans also included a well-being centre, community/youth facilities, associated facilities for the indoor and outdoor pitches, office accommodation, as well as conferencing, exhibition and events space.

Back in March 2021 Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee overturned an earlier decision to refuse the application. At that time the concept was hailed as a “major visionary project” for the town. Last week though, that decision was turned on its head.

Permanent Secretary Julie Harrison stated that the scheme was contrary to the Strabane Area Plan 1986-2001, which states the proposed development was on a protected route and that it would result in a loss of zoned housing.

Responding this week, Seamus McElroy commented, “The club was informed a number of weeks ago about the permanent secretary’s decision to decline the project. What is the point of local politicians making local decisions if someone sitting in Belfast is just going to overturn them?”

He continued, “Had Stormont been running, a minister instead of a civil servant would be overseeing this decision. Secondly, the failure to progress the A5 has seriously hampered progression. Point one of the permanent secretary’s decision dismisses the application on the grounds that the land is on a ‘protected route’. Had the A5 progressed, the bypass would have been downgraded and the protected route provision would have disappeared.”

On the point that the development would result in a loss of zoned house, Mr McElroy said this thinking is “outdated.”

“It needs updated or removed as no houses have been built on the land we want to use,” he clarified.

However, the local chairman remains undiminished in his confidence adding that, “this project will happen.”

A motion was also passed a Planning Committee meeting last week for council to send a delegation to the planning Planning Applications Committee (PAC) next month. That motion was brought by Cllr Paul Gallagher.

He commented, “Last Thursday, I brought forward the proposal to take the application forward after the permanent secretary had rejected it,” Cllr Gallagher said. “We argued all the points and concluded that the ‘protected route’ point had already been compromised. The housing estates, the recycling centre on Strahan’s Road, the Orchard Road Industrial Estate and the upcoming Gaelscoil are all on this supposed ‘protected’ tract of land. I see no point in not allowing this new development to take place.

“We strongly oppose the decision taken by the permanent secretary and have decided to fight it and see that she overturns her ruling. We were given 46 days to appeal the decision and will do so at a meeting with the PAC next month.”