By Ryan Sands
Down GAA is seeking to install an air dome at its forthcoming Ballykinlar county hub.
Planning permission for the €15.4m Ballykinlar Centre of Participation, Wellbeing and Shared Learning Hub was granted in July 2021, and, last Wednesday (25 March), an application to replace the multi-use games area (MUGA) element with the tent-like structure was lodged with council planners.
The installation of the air dome – in the centre of the site, where it would be surrounded by four full-size pitches – would necessitate “the relocation of ball wall and reconfiguration of car park 4 as previously approved”.
Plans illustrate that it would include two small sports pitches, each of which would contain two tennis courts.
A design and access statement notes that the application site “forms part of an established sports and recreational facility” and highlights the 2021 planning approval. “The current proposal seeks to enhance this provision through the introduction of an air dome, allowing year-round usability,” it reads.
“The proposal replaces the previously approved open-air MUGA with a covered facility of similar footprint. Additional built form is limited to a modest entrance lobby structure and minor ancillary elements associated with the dome.
“The scale of development remains consistent with the approved use of the site for sporting purposes.
“The layout has been carefully considered to retain the established spatial arrangement of the sports facilities; integrate the air dome within the footprint of the approved MUGA; relocate the ball wall to a suitable position that maintains usability while ensuring safety and spatial efficiency; and reconfigure car park 4 in line with the previously approved arrangement, ensuring continuity with earlier permissions. Circulation routes for pedestrians and vehicles remain logical, legible and safe.”
On the proposal’s appearance, the document states: “The proposed air dome will have a simple, functional form typical of such structures; use a neutral, light-coloured membrane to reduce visual impact; and present a clean and uncluttered appearance. The entrance lobby will be constructed using materials that complement the wider site context, ensuring visual cohesion.”
The development has been “designed with inclusivity in mind”, and routes to it “will be suitable for wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility”.
“The air dome represents an efficient solution for extending the usability of the sports facility throughout the year, reducing weather dependency,” the statement concludes. “The lightweight nature of the structure minimises construction impact and allows for potential reversibility.
“The proposed development represents a logical and sustainable enhancement of an already approved sporting facility. It builds upon the extant permission; improves usability through year-round provision; maintains an appropriate scale and layout; and ensures safe, inclusive, and efficient access.”
In February, Down GAA began the search for a contractor to deliver the 12.5-hectare hub by 2028.
As well as four full-size pitches (three of which will be floodlit) and the MUGA, the 2021 planning permission included a two-storey building that will contain a covered spectator stand, office space, player facilities and a museum.
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