Clubhouse to be demolished amid ambitious expansion plans

DUNGANNON United Youth’s clubhouse is to be demolished after Mid Ulster District Council’s planning committee approved a request for permission to tear the building down.

Ambitious plans are in place for the Far Circular Road site including an indoor training pitch, extensions to both the ground-floor changing and boardroom facilities and the creation of a new clubhouse.

A report compiled by council’s planning officers and presented to members of the planning committee at its meeting on Tuesday, July 4 notes the application received one letter of objection. The objector said they had concerns over noise levels and operating times and claimed there are “ongoing issues with noise from the clubhouse in the evenings and at night when functions are occurring.”

“They had concerns regarding the use of this proposal as it has the potential to accommodate more people which could result in more noise,” the report stated.

“The objector also has concerns that the Far Circular Road is not fit for purpose and that during match times cars and buses are parked along the road making it very unsafe.”

Council’s environmental health team has taken these comments into consideration and notes the building of the indoor pitch will “act as a barrier to the proposed extended clubhouse, thus reducing any potential nuisance for residents along the Far Circular Road.”

The planning officer in charge of the application says that with regard to the objector’s concerns they are “content any noise nuisance can be dealt with through reporting of any noise nuisances to Mid Ulster District Council’s environmental department who will then investigate”.

“The issues regarding traffic seem to be referring to match days in particular, which is outside the realms of this planning application as the proposed development will not be utilised at these times,” they note.

DfI Roads has no objections to the development, provided the indoor pitch is not utilised during times when a match is being played. This will mean there is no intensification of numbers attending the site at any one time.

The report explains the indoor training pitch will cover a footprint of 1,087m2 and will occupy the position of the existing clubhouse with some additional land on either side.

A proposal to approve the application, in line with officers’ recommendation was brought forward by Cllr Deirdre Varsani and seconded by Cllr Mark Robinson.