Agenda item

1.       

Introduction

Belfast City Council was officially consulted in July 2013 by the Department of Environment (DoE) Strategic Planning Division on an application for planning permission to redevelop Casement Park. The application submitted by Ulster GAA proposes to provide a 38,000 seated capacity GAA Stadium, comprising: demolition of the existing facilities; construction of new pitch and stands, incorporating bar/restaurant and ancillary kitchen areas, conference, training and community facilities, including handball courts, ancillary offices, player accommodation and welfare facilities, press/media and broadcast facilities; replacement floodlighting, stadium/event management suite, ground support facilities including electronic display installations, facilities associated with ground maintenance; enhanced access arrangements; coach parking; underground car parking; remediation/replacement of site boundaries; hard and soft landscaping. 

This document provides Belfast City Council’s Corporate response to the planning application and should be considered alongside the Council’s technical response which has been previously submitted to the DoE by our Health and Environmental Services Department.

The Council has engaged with the applicant and with residents groups regarding this application. In early September 2013 the West Area Working Group (AWG) received a presentation from the GAA. In October 2013 the Town Planning Committee received deputations from the GAA, and from the local residents group – the Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association (MORA).

At these meetings a number of issues were raised with the Committee including the concerns of neighbouring residents in relation to the potential impacts: the steps which had been taken to alleviate those issues; wider engagement to include work with schools; inclusion of residents in the governance structure/ event management; the need to ensure community benefits and business opportunities.

This response takes into account the comments from all parties as well as the local and City-wide context, including key Council documents, in relation to the proposed stadium redevelopment.

2.       

Value of Regional Sport and Cultural Assets

The Belfast Masterplan, which is currently under review and out for public consultation, outlines the Council’s vision and development agenda for the city. The draft document identifies the Casement Stadium development (along with the Windsor Park stadium development) as one of six projects that will have a citywide impact due to their capacity to have transformational and beneficial effects that extend beyond the local area to the city region.

The stadium projects are considered important for the city’s international profile and for the development of sporting infrastructure for the whole community. They also provide the opportunity, if properly planned, to have major positive regenerative impacts on their host neighbourhoods.

These redeveloped sporting facilities will also form part of the wider tourism, leisure and event infrastructure and could support the development of a range of neighbourhood and business services through the procurement and operation of the facilities. The Council wants to ensure that the regeneration benefits of this public investment in sporting facilities are maximised for the city, however, the emphasis is on the developments being designed properly taking full account of the potential physical, social and economic impacts.

The proposed development offers the prospect of being able to pilot innovative arrangements within Andersonstown and the wider area for the development of services, facilities, amenities, cultural and sporting infrastructure that will strengthen the appeal of this location. Central to this will be collaborative working to develop a shared vision for this area with cognisance of the other sport and leisure proposals in the greater Andersonstown area in order to deliver a greater local impact. As part of this the Council would emphasise the importance of sustained and meaningful engagement with local communities.

3.       

Wider Regeneration and Community Benefit

The Council recognises that the combined stadia programme offers huge opportunity for city development and regeneration. Shortly after the DCAL announcement of funding the Council commissioned Deloitte to look at the potential for wider regeneration impacts that could be achieved through the Stadia developments. 

This study identified direct opportunities from the Casement and Windsor developments, such as increased visitor numbers, employment in leisure/ construction and an improved experience for watching live sports. The report also identified the potential for much wider regeneration benefits achieved through off-site investments such as the provision of complementary facilities in the areas and enhanced connectivity for the stadia and their surrounding areas.

Key points from the Deloitte report include:

·          the stadium developments could provide the stimulus for further developments with associated economic and social benefits

·          the development of Windsor Park and Casement Park have the potential to improve the economic and social conditions within the local areas and contribute to improving the quality of the lives for people within the local communities.

·          that wider regeneration could have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the surrounding communities as well as supporting economic regeneration through new employment, training and skills development opportunities.

The redevelopment of Casement Park represents a major investment offering significant opportunities for this part of the city. The high levels of social and economic deprivation in the surrounding neighbourhoods highlights the need to ensure the capital investment is delivered alongside wider regeneration initiatives that increase opportunities for economic activity and address local opportunities.

Leisure Transformation

The Council has agreed a Leisure Transformation Programme that considers the redevelopment of the leisure estate including the Andersonstown Leisure Centre which lies in close proximity to Casement Park.  As the Andersonstown Leisure Centre development progresses, complementarity with the proposed Casement redevelopment and planned leisure provision developments in the wider area is essential. The Council would request that clarity is provided in terms of the accessibility of the proposed community and leisure provision in the Stadium, particularly the leisure facilities (handball courts etc) and any other informal leisure uses. This is important in order to avoid duplication or unnecessary competition between community and leisure provision, existing and proposed, for the wider area.

There is a need to consider the proposals for development in the vicinity of the stadium as well as the opportunities for local businesses through the procurement of contracts and supply chain possibilities. There are a number of sport and leisure related proposals in the local area that should be considered including:

·          Potential improvements to Donegal Celtic Football Club;

·          Leisure provision related to De La Salle College

·          Improvements of Patrick Sarsfields GAC and Rossa GAC

·          The opportunity to enhance provision of North Link playing fields; and

·          The Andersonstown Leisure Centre redevelopment

It is considered that the stadium development alongside other sport, leisure and community projects in the wider area can have an impact on improving the health and wellbeing of this part of the City through the opportunity for coordinated activity and health awareness programming supported by the potential for enhanced participation in sport.

The Council welcomes the planned investment into this part of the city, however, we acknowledge the ongoing issues raised and encourage further engagement to address the identified issues where possible.

Belfast City Council is prepared to work with the GAA, communities, and statutory agencies to help ensure that this project, if it obtains planning approval, is delivered in a manner that maximises the benefit for the City but particularly the surrounding Andersonstown area.

4.       

Transport and Travel               

The Masterplan and Council Transport Policy provides us with a coherent and aspirational vision for development of transport across Belfast. This seeks to support the sustainable economic development of Belfast City as a key connected and regional asset. There is, in our view, a need to ensure that the redevelopment of Casement Park does not result in unacceptable impacts upon the local transport network. The Council supports the proposed use of sustainable modes of transport proposed in the Event Management Plan particularly where this will minimise the impact of the private car on surrounding business and residential areas when the stadium is in use.

The Council acknowledges the potential congestion that will arise when the stadium is being accessed by larger audiences and we would support the use and promotion of sustainable modes of transport to facilitate access.

The Council would welcome a clear process for event planning to ensure coordination and agreed access to Council or other facilities that are planned to be utilised to support  parking provision as part of the event access planning.

There should be clarity in relation to the general use or access to the proposed stadium parking provision during non-match days to support the existing provision or the surrounding commercial centre. The final event access planning should also address issues highlighted by DRD in their comments. 

It is worth noting that the Bus Rapid Transit scheme is proposed to travel along the Andersonstown Road and will be able to serve the stadium, however, we appreciate that the timing of Rapid Transit and the stadium redevelopment, if approved, do not currently align.

Design Issues

We welcome the proposed new active frontage and focus on main point of access from the Andersonstown Road. The proposed redevelopment of the Council’s Andersonstown Leisure Centre site offers further opportunities to contribute towards the local commercial area.

In the context of the deputations from the residents the Council would encourage that formal engagement between the applicant and MORA is resumed to ensure clarity in respect of the proposal and that the issues arising from the consultation and future operations are considered. The Council acknowledges the revised approach to the stadium design, however, there should be further consideration of design solutions and finishes to minimise the adverse impacts of the stadium for local communities. For the Andersonstown Road frontage the Council would support the introduction of an active frontage along the full length to encourage community access/use and contribute to the local commercial vitality on a year-round basis.

5

Local Community benefit

The public sector financial support for the stadia programme is based on the delivery of a range of sustainable economic, social, equality and environmental returns. The Council is keen to explore the opportunities for community benefit arising both from the stadium itself and in relation to the potential for improvements in the wider area that could help secure the returns sought from the DCAL investment.

Community access should be addressed as a key consideration for the GAA proposal. This has been raised by elected Members and communities and is vital to the success of the stadium development, if approved.

The planning application outlines almost 2,000 sq metres of community space, including the proposed café. The detail of the access and use proposed for this space should be provided as part of the application and agreed before any permission is granted. The Council proposes to redevelop the Andersonstown Leisure Centre and we are aware of a number of developments potentially taking place in the wider area (see section 3) that, if considered in tandem with the stadium offering, could help provide a complementary community leisure provision in the area and an enhanced range of facilities.

It is anticipated that the stadium could create 1,500 jobs locally and could attract match audiences of up to 38,000, contributing almost £15 million to the Belfast economy annually and make a city wide impact.

Looking beyond the stadium site itself the Council is keen to see the potential for the community benefits of the stadium development to be invested in the wider area. Should the stadium obtain planning approval the Council would be willing to engage with DCAL, the GAA, and the surrounding communities with the aim of maximising the community benefit of the stadium in the context of a broader plan for the area.

Partnership and Resource Sharing

It is stressed that the Council is committed to working with the GAA and other government departments and statutory agencies to ensure that the development has a wide and positive regenerative impact on the city. We will support and participate in the development of any wider regeneration plans.

In developing the Masterplan, the Council has reflected the commitment to the strategic importance of the identified investments in the city. The Council are committed through a series of policies and programme vehicles to working in a collaborative partnership with the sports organisations and government agencies to ensure that the community, city, economic and environmental benefits are maximised.

The continued engagement is important through continued involvement of the Council, and local representatives, the community facilities workshops.

This should be linked to the formalisation of future governance arrangements including a range of stakeholders.

The wider regeneration potential of the stadium project, alongside other development opportunities, could impact positively on the health and wellbeing of surrounding communities and could support economic regeneration / employability opportunities through programmes targeting training, skills development and business opportunities. In this context year-round access to the community facilities is essential.

6

Conclusions

In conclusion, the Council welcomes the ambitious proposal as identified in the Masterplan as part of the investment in the infrastructure of the City. Fundamental to the success of the development, the Council noted some concerns especially in terms of community engagement, links to the local infrastructure, transport, parking and access to services / amenities.

To ensure the proposed development maximises the social, leisure, economic and environmental benefits and effectively minimises adverse impacts, particularly in relation to those issues identified by the residents, it is therefore suggested that, if the Department is minded to approve this application, it should address the following issues:

·    Ensuring design and material finishes minimise the potential for adverse impacts on adjoining properties

·     Event management arrangements are robust and formal processes agreed to ensure participation and effective planning

·     The need for an agreed structure for event planning ensuring shared governance and access to Council / other required facilities

·     Ensuring an active frontage on the Andersonstown Road

·     General access to parking facilities outside of match days

·     The contribution to broader regeneration and leisure plan for the wider area

·     The opportunity for local procurement for services and ongoing supply chain opportunities

·     The establishment of a management structure with local representation

This is in addition to the conditions and informatives recommended in the previously submitted technical response attached.”