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Plans for Dungiven sports centre blocked again

Dungiven residents at a protest last month
Dungiven residents at a protest last month Dungiven residents at a protest last month

PLANS for a multi-million pound sports complex in Dungiven have been blocked by a unionist-dominated council for a second time.

At a special meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Council last night, a majority of unionist councillors rejected a proposal from Sinn Féin, seeking the project to go ahead.

Work on the Co Derry facility, including halls, a gym and 3G pitch, was to begin this month, until it was blocked at a council meeting in December.

Unionist councillors voted against the £2.8m project, arguing that it would leave ratepayers with a £339,000 shortfall.

Sinn Féin councillor Sean McGlinchey said the vote was "a sectarian decision" and a "bad day for politics".

"It's very disappointing," he said following last night's meeting.

Mr McGlinchey said he hoped the decision would be challenged at the High Court.

"We'll take the battle to Causeway Coast and Glens Council. Whatever it takes," he said.

Unionists had said the council has also blocked funding on other projects until it has an overview of spending plans for the entire area.

But Mr McGlinchey said one of the capital projects, a multi-million scheme in Ballymoney, was only in the planning stages.

"A business case on that project hasn't even been carried out yet," he said. "We had the money ready to go."

He reiterated claims that the centre would have gone ahead if nationalist councillors had agreed to allow the Union flag to be flown over council buildings all year round.

"It's just a sectarian decision," he said.

"I was told before that if we allowed the flag to be flown they would vote in favour of the centre."

The Ulster Unionist grouping on the council previously said it "utterly rejects any attempt by Sinn Féin to introduce claims of sectarian motivations to the decision making process".

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín previously said she was "disappointed" at the council's decision, because her department had approved the £2.5 million grant. She said the estimated shortfall could have been met by a grant which had been approved by the Landfill Community Fund but the grant needed the council's approval.