A GROUP representing residents living close to Casement Park has said it is "very disappointing" that the new Ulster GAA president is insisting on a 38,000-capacity stadium.
The Moreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association (MORA), which brought the legal challenge which saw planning permission for a new ground overturned, claimed the GAA's "inflexibility on the capacity issues is simply not tenable".
Michael Hasson told Irish News this week there is "not a lot of give" in plans for the redeveloped stadium to accommodate 38,000 people.
Tony Dignan of MORA said on Tuesday that "many residents are GAA supporters themselves and would like to see a suitably-sized redevelopment of the ground".
"However, we have long resisted the GAA's plans for a new 38,000-capacity all-seated multi-purpose Casement Park stadium. That is simply too large in scale and an over-development of the site.
"The only reason Mr Hasson gives for insisting on a 38,000-seater stadium is to host the Ulster senior football championship final.
"One capacity match per annum is hardly sufficient justification for spending over £65m of public funds; without that massive subsidy, the GAA’s plans would simply not be viable."
He added: "The GAA’s inability to bring forward a new planning application is testimony to the range of issues facing an oversized redevelopment of Casement. Given the problems faced, the business case for the GAA’s 38,000 proposal must now be seriously questioned."
The original decision to grant planning permission was overturned in December 2014 after a High Court judge identified failures in the environmental impact assessment.
It is expected that a new application will be submitted in September.
