Plans to turn a Belfast community hotspot into GAA pitches have been met with outrage.
The Lower Botanic field in Stranmillis is currently home to a community garden, wildflower meadow, and Queen’s University research plot, and is a well‑used space for students, residents and summer events.
In the past 80 years the space has been used for allotments, a prefab housing development, an events space, and open playing fields.
Last week Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey posted on Instagram of “confirmation (of) the delivery of new GAA pitch” in reference to a decision made at a Belfast City Council committee meeting.
However, locals who use the Lower Botanic field have reacted with outrage, claiming the news came out of the blue, with no consultation process.
Last Friday the majority of elected representatives at the City Hall Strategic Policy and Resources Committee decided to return the Boucher Road Playing Fields to their “original purpose” as a dedicated sports facility, meaning large-scale music concerts and festivals at the site would end in a few years’ time.
Information involving plans to transform the Botanic site into a GAA pitch also emerged, although this was not made clear in any documents made available to the public.
At Monday’s full council meeting, the plans were shelved. The chamber passed firstly a joint DUP and Alliance proposal, and then a Green Party proposal, both proposing to defer decisions on both Botanic and Boucher Road Playing Fields, pending further discussions.
However, locals who use the Botanic space are still uncertain about its future.
The proposed Botanic pitch is located on the site of ‘Upsurge’, an EU Horizon-funded , five-city research initiative examining how nature-based solutions can help cities adapt to rapid climate change. The project was valued at €660,375 going to Belfast City Council.
The site also received an investment of £240,367 for installation of a new path and community garden via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, again, via Belfast Council.
Read more: NI ‘to lose £10m per weekend’ after councillors vote to end Boucher Road concerts
Colin Shaw, who lives beside the Botanic field, and has been involved with the Upsurge project from its beginning, has written to the five councillors representing the Botanic District Electoral Area to get answers on the process surrounding the Botanic proposal.
He stated in a letter to the elected reps: “This proposed development will cause reputational damage to Belfast by undermining its role in Upsurge and UKSPF, and risks breaching project commitments, triggering financial penalties during the monitoring phase, and eroding international and national confidence in Belfast city as a reliable partner for internationally-funded and globally-significant research.
“It increases the risk of flooding in Belfast city centre. Currently, the site acts as a sponge for large quantities of water, something the Upsurge intervention is studying. A hardstanding pitch and spectator area will increase run-off, increasing the volume of water entering the Lagan, especially during flood events.”
Green Party Councillor Áine Groogan said at the full council meeting on Monday: “We have really put the cart before the horse here. The Pitches Strategy has not been agreed, it is due to come back next month, and I don’t understand why we are agreeing outcomes of a strategy that is not itself agreed.
“Decisions in terms of priorities for funding and phasing should all flow from the strategy.”
Alliance Councillor Tara Brooks said: “I couldn’t believe it when I heard there was a pitch proposed for the Upsurge site. My concerns would be the same whether it was a GAA pitch, a football pitch – it makes no difference to me.
“This Upsurge site is an EU funded project the council has been supporting to investigate the impact of climate change. It is a community project, thousands of hours of community work have gone into that site, and there has been very little consultation with the local community.
“For me this is an example of where one part of the council isn’t talking to another.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Conor McKay added: “We were told multiple times the Upsurge project would not interfere with a Gaelic pitch there. Previously there was a Gaelic pitch when Cherryvale was getting done up and it passed consultation with residents who were more than happy to have it.
“This was an oven-ready pitch, ready to go.”
