Ballynahinch community centre will help kickstart regeneration initiative

Ballynahinch community centre will help kickstart regeneration initiative

27 November 2024

AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled for a major new community and sports hub in Ballynahinch.

Langley Road is the epicentre for the new cross-community hub which has the backing of local sports clubs, politicians, The High School Ballynahinch, Ballynahinch Lions Club and the Langley Road Community Association.

The social and economic regeneration proposal has not yet been costed but will rely heavily on support from the Assembly, Newry, Mourne and Down Council and a range of funders.

Last week, concept drawings of the proposed development were made public and will now be submitted to the local authority for debate and a decision on the way forward.

Two new floodlit synthetic sports pitches are proposed — one for football and the other for hockey — with an existing grass soccer pitch included as a key part of the development proposal and it will be upgraded. 

Two new spectator stands are also proposed for the football pitches and covered dugouts adjacent to the 2G hockey pitch.

A small sports pitch, outdoor basketball court and upgraded children’s play park also feature in the enterprising proposal, alongside transforming one of the existing shale pitches at Langley Road into a 119-space car park with access via a new dedicated entrance off the Magheraknock Road.

Significantly, the proposal includes selling the local authority-owned Langley Road sports pavilion which would be bulldozed to make way for up to six new social homes.

The money from the sale would be used to help offset the cost of the new community hub, featuring changing facilities, located close to the 3G soccer pitch.

Preliminary discussions about the future of the current sports pavilion have already taken place with the Housing Executive, while the Department for Communities is aware of the overall proposal for the Langley estate.

Details of the blueprint to revamp sports and community provision in Ballynahinch were outlined at a special briefing at the Montalto estate in the town last Friday morning.

Rowallane councillor Jonny Jackson has been working on the Langley Road proposal for some time with the new hub described as a “game changer” with representatives from a number of sports clubs impressed with its potential.

Cllr Jackson said that when he was elected he reached out to the community to identify its needs, examine what services were missing and examine how things could be improved by working alongside local people and sports clubs.

He explained that through engagement with all the parties, it quickly became apparent that there was a “dearth of facilities”.

“The Langley Road pavilion hasn’t changed in decades and when you go to other council areas the investment in sports facilities is much greater than here and there are more modern facilities,” Cllr Jackson continued.

“There is a massive difference and in looking at the area to identify how things could be improved, the focus was on council-owned sites.”

Cllr Jackson said the big one which stood out was Langley Road.

“This is a massive site and as the local authority own the land it would not have to be bought to pave the way for a new sports and community hub, Cllr Jackson said.

“Local sports clubs are essentially maxed out and having to hire pitches as there is just not the amount of space locally that is required.

He said the local council has already identified the Rowallane area for a new sports hub and believes Ballynahinch and the Langley Road is the ideal venue for such a facility.

“The aim is to tap into the need the council has identified and build on that to provide a new cross-community facility and go forward with these proposals. The concept designs have been drawn up by consultants and they could potentially change,” Cllr Jackson confirmed.

“Local sports clubs already do a fantastic amount of work in the area and we are glad to have them here today. There is a tremendous amount of voluntary work being carried out across a range of sports in Ballynahinch and the new community hub is for the use of everyone in the town.”

Cllr Jackson: “The work many sports clubs do in the town and wider Rowallane never ceases to amaze me.”

Strangford MP Jim Shannon and South Down MLA Diane Forsythe said they were fully supportive of the proposed Langley Road hub.

“I believe this project is achievable and am more than happy to add mu support to it,”Mr Shannon remarked.

“The hub will bring the schools together and the project can also unite the community, sports clubs and Ballynahinch. I intend to work with you all to make this project happen.

“This is a big project and it will deliver something we do not have at the minute. It will also need the support of the local council and the Assembly and I am more than happy to support it.”

Mr Shannon said the new hub could also pay a key role in helping improve people’s mental health and wellbeing, adding: “This project can be beneficial for everyone and help bring all sports from all sides of the community together.”