Northern Ireland Stadium News

Belfast City Council have officially selected Ormeau Park as the site for the proposed Belfast stadium. Three interested developers have now presented detailed plans to the council, all of which are focused on the park in the south of the city.

Just as the Belfast stadium project is ploughing ahead, with world class developers (including the company behind the Emirates Stadium) presenting their ideas, concerns are being raised over the government’s commitment to the Maze project. Belfast City Council are still pursuing the NIO minister with responsibility for the Maze plans, David Hanson, in an effort to have the business plan for the Maze released. However, despite the stadium’s planned cost to the taxpayer of at least £85 million, the minister is still refusing to release the business plan.

Meanwhile, Lagan Valley politicians are worried that a new roads proposal indicates the government are not as committed to the Maze plans as it first appeared, with the proposed new A1 link road bypassing the area altogether.

Time to stop the madness. Sign the petition.

Regeneration & Renewal, the leading magazine for the UK regeneration sector, has echoed StadiumForBelfast warnings that the proposed Maze stadium could be a white elephant comparable to the ‘financially disastrous’ Millennium Dome.  While planning consultants were reluctant to talk to the magazine on the record, in private they have confirmed the serious fundamental problems that exist around the Maze stadium plans. Just one of the major flaws in the plans is the fact that the stadium will be in the “middle of nowhere” and “the local population simply cannot support the planned leisure facilities during the stadium’s quiet periods.”

In a press release from Belfast City Council, Councillor Bob Stoker called on the government to pay attention to the field experts, saying “huge investment is required in our infrastructure, hospitals and other vital areas, so why is [the government] planning to spend this amount of money on a sports stadium, especially when professionals are telling them the location goes against all the advice from professionals and current thinking in the field. [sic]”

Belfast City Council today issued a detailed development brief to the 7 developers that expressed interest in the council’s proposals for a new stadium in the city (which will be funded at no cost to the ratepayer, unlike the government’s Maze Plans which will cost the taxpayer millions). The brief covers all aspects of the stadium from planning, design, development, funding, construction to operation, promotion and ongoing management. The council have set a deadline of 25th July for responses.

THe NIO are a step ahead, having released their ‘masterplan’ last week, and are currently at the stage of running a competition for the design of the stadium itself. However the NIO need to attract anything up to £300 million in investment for their project, which includes many peripheral facilities around the stadium. However, the council are still of the firm belief that a Belfast stadium is viable and their deadline illustrates that they are determined to push ahead with their plans and disprove the myth propagated by the NIO that the Maze is the only viable option.

The Council’s Bob Stoker, chair of the Community and Recreation Committee said “we have included a stipulation in the brief that the stadium should be funded at no cost to the council. That is vital at a time when ratepayers face bills of three times more than they currently pay…. the vast majority of sports fans in Northern Ireland would prefer a stadium in Belfast, which is accessible by public transport and is close to other night-time entertainment venues and hotels. There is a gathering momentum behind siting a multi-sports stadium in Belfast”

The NIO need to realise that the stadium must be brought closer to the people. Build it in Belfast 

The Amalgamation of Official NISCs is currently embarking on a ‘roadshow’, taking their arguments on the National Stadium debate to various locations throughout the country. The presentation is set to be given to NISCs and local Councils in the coming weeks - a successful presentation has already been made to Ards Borough Council’s External Relations and Planning Committee.

The next in the series of these events will be held as follows: The Royal Hotel, Cookstown at 8pm on Wednesday 26th April. Portstewart FC, Portstewart at 8pm on Wednesday 3rd May. These events are open to the public and admission is free, so why not come along and take part in the national stadium debate.

Meetings are also planned with Carrick Borough Council on Mon 15th May, Lisburn City Council (who stand to gain the most from the Maze proposals) on Mon 5th June and Ballymena Borough Council on Mon 12th June.

What a pathetic election campaign we’ve just seen in Northern Ireland. As usual, the spoils go to those who can wave their flags better and higher than their rivals and matters of policy are ignored and forgotten in the process. Not a SINGLE mention of the Maze stadium in the election campaign.

Tom Ekin, Belfast’s outgoing Lord Mayor, replied to a letter sent to him regarding the Belfast Stadium with some potentially positive news that needs further investigation. All the other local representatives failed even to respond, with the exception of Belfast City Councillor Carmel Hanna (SDLP) who basically said the decision has been made, there’s no point.

There is a point. Northern Ireland has a new Secretary of State in Peter Hain and Stadium For Belfast plans to contact him in the coming weeks to persuade him that the decision needs to be reversed before the plans are implemented.

You can write to your MP with the help of writetothem.com. Please do this and let them know where our stadium should be!

Alternatively, you can add your voice to the chorus of discontent by contacting Peter Hain’s constituency office at neathoffice@peterhain.org.

Stadium For Belfast achieved it’s 200th signature this weekend, not bad going for an exclusively online petition. To mark the occasion, Stadium For Belfast wrote to Ian Crozier, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Development Committee outlining our beliefs that Northern Ireland’s new stadium belongs in Belfast.Read the full details (and the letter) right here on Stadium For Belfast

Michael McGimpsey, South Belfast MLA, Westminster candidate & former sports minister, has come out in favour of a stadium in Belfast. According to a report in the Newsletter, he would prefer the Titanic Quarter site. McGimpsey is quoted as saying

“My preference has always been the Titanic Quarter. We would only need 12 acres of land there and we could create the equivalent to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, only a lot smaller. That’s the place for it and I don’t think there’s any justification for shoving it out to the Maze. That’s my own view based on my experiences as Sports Minister.”

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