Truesdale Calls For Info On Newcastle Centre

Cllr Jill Truesdale calls for information on Newcastle Centre to be made available to the members of the Active and Healthy Communities committee

Alliance Mournes Councillor Jill Truesdale has expressed her disappointment over an item for Newcastle Leisure Centre in the most recent Active Healthy Communities Committee meeting.

She said the item was being placed under, ‘for noting’. Jill explained that items for noting are at the end of committee papers and a discussion can only proceed at the request of a councillor and at the decision of the Chair.

She added that as she requested to speak on the item, the Chair, Cllr Calum Bowsie, allowed the request. Jill then took the opportunity to voice her disappointment that an item of such significance was not given any discussion time and that Councillors were being told the placement of the leisure centre was behind the existing centre.

Then she made a proposal that the item would return to the committee with a list of sites that had been scoped for the leisure centre and the reasons for their dismissal.

“‘I was so disappointed that something Newcastle has been denied for decades was sitting as only an item ‘for noting’.

“I have spoken before about the lack of parking and smaller size leisure centre in comparison to others in the district.

“To now say it would set the project back ten years is rather hard to believe considering sod cutting for Downpatrick Leisure centre began in February 2016 with a target completion of Autumn 2017.

“With delays due to re-design of substructure,the project completion was pushed to the final quarter of 2018 meaning a build time of two years and three months with 3-4 months added on for delay. 

“As reported in the press previously designs have been drawn up without coming through all councillor’s approval.

“Mourne Councillors were shown designs but everything looked at on paper had to be given back at the end of the meeting. As for timelines and surveys I have no knowledge of either.

“For other Councillors to keep asking for the public to be consulted is disingenuous as they have not been so far.”

Cllr Truesdale added: “The appointment of consultants has been protracted to say the least, given extensive studies have been done before over the years.

“Council officers have said they will be consulting with the public on various design options on the site. There is no doubt the current gym facilities in the Newcastle Centre are long past their sell by date and really should never have been placed inside the Centre.

“Multiple feasibility studies and appraisals identified the urgent need for replacement facilities and the need for modern wet and dry leisure provision.

“The Tropicana build in the 1980’s was also one of the legacy council’s biggest mistakes, but the public should not have to pay for those mistakes which were not taken in their name. The Tropicana was a particularly divisive project with a petition of thousands produced to the then Down District Council which was disregarded. 

“Drone footage above the current Newcastle Centre clearly shows extensive rock armour wrapped right around the site, why build a new leisure centre on a site that has already been deemed in need of protection?

“The recent gondola debacle has clearly shown the council needs to engage with what the residents want and need, what we don’t want is second best. Leisure facilities fall within the council’s corporate plan to promote healthier lifestyles but a ‘Newcastle Leisure Centre’ is not specifically mentioned.

“It was only a matter of months ago the council were willing to build a gondola base station in Donard Park yet Donard Park as a proposed leisure centre site has not been mentioned. 

“If you look at the Department of Infrastructure flood maps the Climate change floodplain maps and the climate change surface water maps show clear flooding around the Newcastle Centre.

“I look forward to reading the sites that were scoped and the reasons for their dismissal.”