A residents group in Belfast has declared its opposition to new plans to redevelop the Casement Park stadium.
Last month the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) unveiled plans for the stadium, which has been designed by Populous. The new development would have a capacity of 34,500, including an 8,500-capacity terrace.
The GAA said that the mixed-use facility would provide a range of resources to “advance the economic, cultural and heritage opportunities” for locals.
The proposal also set out plans for various transport options, such as supporter coach travel and off-site park-and-ride facilities, and the height and scale of the current proposal are all smaller than previous designs, with the capacity having been reduced by 3,500.
However, the Mooreland and Owenvarragh Residents Association said that the lower capacity is “not a significant reduction”.
The original proposal was scrapped after a legal challenge by the residents association in 2014.
The group said that it supported a “suitable-sized redevelopment” that was safe, did not host concerts and was “part of the natural fabric of the community”, but added: “The revised proposals for the redevelopment of Casement Park do not meet those requirements.
“The safe capacity of the ground is in the range of 11,239 to 18,264. That is the considered view of a report jointly submitted to the Safety Technical Group (STG) in January 2016 by the PSNI, NI Ambulance Service and the NI Fire and Rescue Service.”
The group said that the stadium was “almost twice the capacity” of that assessment and added that the new plans had not been signed off by the STG.
The group said it would “continue to engage in the consultation process” and added: “We believe that the GAA should acknowledge the very constrained nature of the Casement Park site and propose a redevelopment that is in keeping with its surroundings.”
The GAA said it was “very disappointed” by the group's response.
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