Carryduff sports clubs have celebrated the approval of a new 3g football pitch in the area.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee has approved the new pitch at Lough Moss Leisure Centre following years of campaigning by local sports teams and representatives.
The new hybrid GAA and football pitch will replace the current all-weather pitch which had become dated and was no longer frequently used.
Read more: Carryduff football club in desperate need of improved facilities to support growth
Alongside the football pitch, new parking spaces, floodlighting, fencing and ball catching nets have also been approved for the facility.
Welcoming the news Carryduff Colts Club chairman Eamon Deeny said: "We are delighted at the news that planning permission has been granted for the new 3G pitch at Lough Moss.
"This has been a long time coming for our club which will celebrate our 20th anniversary next September. Unfortunately, the delivery timescale doesn’t suggest it will be ready in time for that but we hope it will be delivered by the following Spring.
"Thus area is severely under resourced in terms of community facilities and the Colts has had to fight long and hard to get to this point. Now it is all about delivery and we have to be vigilant to ensure there are no further delays.
"For the first half of our existence we felt like we were banging our heads off a brick wall as the club grew but there were limited facilities. We feel the tide has now turned and that our message is landing with the right people just as the club has grown in size to having almost 1,000 members.
"We have had great support from our local representatives across most of the political parties and council officers in recent years. The local MP, MLAs and former Executive ministers have all been supportive and this is a great example of what can be delivered when everyone pulls in the same direction.
"Most of all, it is the first move towards giving our community and our club what we so badly need and deserve. Our committee, coaches and players deserve this for all the hard work and dedication they have shown for nearly 20 years.
"But we can only allow this to be the start, Carryduff is crying out for better community and leisure facilities, not least of all given the size of the population and the amount of new residential developments on the way. We as a club will continue to work in conjunction with the entire community to make this an even better place to live.
"And we won’t stop campaigning until that is achieved."
Local representatives have welcomed the approval of the new pitch saying that local sports teams have been lobbying the council for years for it.
Alliance Castlereagh South councillor Michelle Guy said: “I am delighted to see that planning has been approved for the 3G pitches at Lough Moss. This is a significant step forward, but there is still much work to do before these badly needed facilities for Carryduff are delivered.
"The response to the consultation process was overwhelmingly positive and I’m grateful to our local sports clubs, elected representatives, council officers and members of the public who supported the application.”
SDLP Castlereagh South councillor John Gallen said: "With the 3G pitches & floodlights getting full planning approval today we are another step closer to getting this much needed facility built at Lough Moss.
"Due to the lack of an all weather pitch in Carryduff players and teams have had to travel elsewhere to train for soccer and gaelic games.
"Teams like the Carryduff Colts and Carryduff GAC have been at the forefront along with Elected Reps, lobbying for years to get the pitches developed.
"All being well we will get the 3G pitch at Lough Moss and the new Lidl supermarket built next year and it will be a boon year for the community of Carryduff."
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