RUAS Eyes-Up Maze For 'Balmoral' Show

Last week's highly successful Royal Ulster Agricultural Society 'Balmoral Show' may have been the last to be held at the historic south Belfast location.

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society is now believed to be interested in the former Maze prison site, and with doubts now openly expressed about the future of the proposed multi-sport stadium project for that location - with escalating costs now entering the formerly political debate - it seems more likely than ever that the 2009, or possibly the 2010 Balmoral Show will in fact take place at the Maze site near Lisburn instead.

It has now emerged that the projected cost of building a stadium at the former Maze prison site is thought to be substantially higher than its reported £100m price tag.

This has been reported as an appraisal of the business plan has been given to NI Executive Finance Minister Peter Robinson.

He has indicated that a decision is due on the location of a multi-sports stadium for Northern Ireland by the end of this month.

But the cost factor means there are fresh doubts over the future of the Maze stadium project as Mr Robinson is expected to put together a summary of the report to present to the Executive for discussion.

It had been thought he may bring a recommendation to the Cabinet, but the emphasis is expected to be very much on a collective decision.

Last week, Mr Robinson said that even if the stadium did not go ahead, something would have to be built on the 260-acre site.

The Executive is mindful that if it cannot make productive use of the Maze, it will undermine its case for seeking other government owned land - such as former Army bases - for development.

Mr Robinson has said that if the Maze stadium does not go ahead, the main football, rugby and GAA stadia across Northern Ireland would be improved.

However, the need for a national stadium in Northern Ireland has divided political opinion with Sinn Fein not willing to support the idea unless it is on the site of the former Maze Prison, while some unionists oppose the Maze site because of plans for a conflict transformation centre at the stadium.

But, the GAA, Irish FA and Ulster Rugby have confirmed they would play at the Maze venue and are in favour of the business case for a 35,000-seater stadium capable of hosting major football, rugby and Gaelic matches as part of the regeneration of the Maze site which Stormont Sports Minister Edwin Poots had outlined.

However, some Northern Ireland football fans have been opposed to international games being staged at the Maze, arguing it would be much better to build a new stadium in Belfast City instead of a site nearer the much smaller City of Lisburn.

(BMcC)