Public asked for views on plans for Templemore and Strabane Sports Centres

by Gráinne Connolly

People in Derry-Londonderry are being asked to share their views for new plans to replace Templemore Sports Complex with a brand new sports centre. 

Derry City and Strabane District Council will be conducting street surveys and online surveys across the city and district over the next month. 

These surveys will also ask for members of the public's opinions on a second new leisure complex at Riverside in Strabane. 

It was announced at a recent Health and Community Committee meeting, that Hamilton Architects LLP have been appointed to advance plans for the redevelopment of both new sports centres. 

The project will include an Outline Business Case (OBC) which is expected to be complete by this summer; after this, planning application will be lodged for both projects.
 

A senior Council officer, in a report brought before the committee, stated:

“A key component to the OBC development is consultation. This will inform the assessment of need for defined facilities and ensure the public, user groups and staff have an opportunity to contribute to the future of leisure provision.”

He confirmed that the online survey is available to members of the public from mid March to mid April, and that a “street survey facilitated by face to face survey collectors” using iPads will take place over the same period in shopping centres, bus and train stations and on the street of Derry city centre and Strabane town centre.
 

There will also be consultation events in both Templemore Sports Complex and Riverside to be held on consecutive days on March 27 and 28 with three sessions each day.

Senior officials from Derry City & Strabane District Council meanwhile will also engage with business, education and university, health and community groups concerning the plans.

The online survey will be made available through the Council website at www.derrystrabane.com.

The officer said that the consultation approach and redevelopment plans “will support the objective, ‘to help people to develop and adopt healthy lifestyles through increasing participation in high quality leisure, sport and healthy living activity".