UNIONISTS are holding up progress on a new sports complex in Dungiven in a dispute over flying the Union flag from council buildings, republicans have claimed.
Sinn Féin councillor Séan McGlinchey has claimed that unionist councillors on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council voted against the £2.5 million project in response to republicans refusing to amend their opposition to a proposal to fly the Union flag all year round on eight council buildings.
The claim however has been denied by the Ulster Unionist grouping on the council which said it "utterly rejects any attempt by Sinn Féin to introduce claims of sectarian motivations to the decision making process."
They say the council has also banned spending on other projects until it had an overview of spending plans for the entire council area.
Mr McGlinchey claimed Ulster Unionist councillors approached Sinn Féin prior to the meeting a fortnight ago.
"They said they would support the issue of the Dungiven complex if they got their way on flags. They wanted flags flying 365 days a year on all council buildings.
"I said to them: 'we will talk about flags separately.' It is disgraceful and this issue is not about the shortfall of money. If this doesn't go ahead it will cost ratepayers £1 million just to renovate the building."
Mr McGlinchey added: "We are looking at this as a fresh start. How can that be the case if flags are flown 365 days a year?"
It is understood that legal action is now being taken by a Dungiven resident in an attempt to force council to progress the matter.
The UUP grouping on the council said it was "content" for the centre to proceed, provided the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure wholly funded the project.
A spokesman said: "It should also be noted that we opposed the proposed £4.5m leisure project in Ballymoney for exactly the same reason that we opposed Dungiven.
"The new Causeway Coast and Glens Council should not be saddled with significant expenditure from previous councils until an irrefutable case based on need had been made."
DCAL minister Carál Ní Chuilín said the shortfall - estimated at around £400,000 - could have been met by a grant which had been approved by the Landfill Community Fund but which required the council’s agreement.
