PROGRESS on the location of a new running track in Downpatrick is expected to be made in the coming weeks.
This was confirmed at last week’s meeting of the council’s Active and Healthy Communities (AHC) Committee, at which a notice of motion on the development of such a facility in east Down – this would be as part of a Downpatrick multi-sports hub – was discussed.
The local authority’s 2017 Sports Facility Strategy recommended the designation of such a hub in each DEA (district electoral area), and Down High School’s new home, which is currently under construction, was the only option for Downpatrick included in the document.
Laura Devlin (SDLP, Mournes) initially brought forward the motion, which highlighted “the current lack of a professional running track within the east of the district”, in November.
It called on the local authority to review “all publicly available land in east Down that could accommodate a professional running track, with a view to delivering on this much-needed sports amenity for current and future athletes within our district”.
Read more about the potential facility in the current issue.
