By Ryan Sands
PLANS for a new Crotlieve multi-sports hub at Warrenpoint’s St Mark’s High School look set to be submitted in the near future. In recent weeks, the council lodged a Proposal of Application Notice—submissions of which are required at least 12 weeks before full planning applications deemed to be major or regionally significant—for the mooted DEA facility at the school’s Upper Dromore Road site with its own planners.
A proposal description states that the hub will “include upgrade of existing playing fields to provide 3G playing surface, new sports pavilion, new floodlighting, perimeter field fencing, perimeter path, ballstops and all associated siteworks.” Drawings illustrate that the pavilion will feature a gymnasium, changing rooms, a Changing Places facility, a staff office, toilets and stores, and that three small modular grandstands for spectators would be situated nearby.
In October, the council ratified a committee decision to enter into a partnership agreement with St Mark’s High School to progress the development of an all-weather facility, centred around a full-sized 3G GAA pitch, and to utilise an allocated sports facility capital budget of £500,000. A report presented to the Active and Healthy Communities Committee the previous month had provided an update on progress made in relation to 2021’s districtwide Multi-Sports Facilities Review for Outdoor Leisure, which had “concluded that there was a significant undersupply of playing facilities in the Crotlieve DEA, particularly for Gaelic games, rugby and association football, especially regarding training needs.”
“An update of the facilities review was undertaken earlier this year in order to: reconsider the facility needs for association football, Gaelic games and rugby within Crotlieve DEA; assess progress made since 2021 in addressing undersupply; and consider club-led developments, council partnerships and school/community projects that have emerged,” the report read. “This update recognises that, while significant progress has been achieved, opportunities remain to strengthen provision and to ensure a sustainable balance between club-led growth and wider community access.”
The document detailed “outstanding needs and gaps” that had been identified. These included a continued shortage of all-weather 3G training provision, restricting evening and winter training, and the need for enhanced changing, toilet and ancillary provision across various clubs to help grow female participation.
“The delivery of a multi-sports hub has not yet been progressed; however, there is an opportunity to consider a partnership agreement with St Mark’s High School, Warrenpoint, for the development of the multi-sports hub provision, which could replicate the successful partnership between council, the Department of Education and Shimna College in the delivery of the Donard Park multi-sports hub,” the report concluded.
“The St Mark’s High School site had planning permission for an all-weather pitch, which lapsed in 2015. A review of the site has confirmed that there is an opportunity to develop the multi-sports proposal in partnership between St Mark’s and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.”
Public consultation events on the planned hub will be hosted in Warrenpoint Town Hall today (Wednesday) between 2pm and 4pm and from 6pm to 7pm.
