03/09/2013

Meetings Announced For Olympia Leisure Centre Development

A series of public meetings are to be held this month to update residents about future plans for the Olympia Leisure Centre in south Belfast.

The meetings will begin on Wednesday 23 September to outline progress since the last round of consultation, when a majority of respondents were in favour of a new facility as part of the stadium planned for Windsor Park.

The council has completed initial drawings of the proposed development at the stadium's west stand.

The public meetings will give people the chance to view the concept designs and hear what the next steps are. The drawings will also be on display inside the centre until the end of September.

"The work at Windsor Park provides an once-in-a-lifetime chance to improve and develop Olympia Leisure Centre and the land around it," explained Alderman Gavin Robinson, Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

"There will be wider economic benefits for the surrounding community, and the city as a whole, as well as work to make the area around the stadium a safe and welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.

"Many of our leisure centres are also getting older and we're already making plans to improve them, as part of a wider investment into health and wellbeing facilities, right across the city, so this work at Olympia – which is additional to our previously announced £150m Investment Programme for the city – is very timely."

Under the plans, the site where Olympia Leisure Centre is currently located will be redeveloped into an open space and form part of the stadium entrance.

"We are working with the IFA and DCAL to agree how our proposals for Olympia can complement the new stadium. We're also meeting with Linfield FC, who own some of the land around the site, to see how we can work together," Alderman Robinson he said.

"These proposals can only go forward if an agreement can be reached but, if this is the case, work could begin on the new centre by next summer.

"During any construction, it is our intention to keep the current Olympia Leisure Centre open and minimise any disruption to centre users."

(IT/JP)

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