Funders being sought for £4m Crossgar centre

Funders being sought for £4m Crossgar centre

9 July 2014

DOWN Council is to target potential funders to help deliver a new £4m community centre and sports complex in Crossgar.

Spending on major capital schemes across the district has to be agreed by the new Newry Mourne and Down Council which is currently operating in shadow form ahead of the new super council going live next April.

Down Council is planning to refer the proposed Crossgar scheme to the shadow council for approval, but has also agreed to see what potential funding is available to support the project.

The proposed development is being spearheaded by the Crossgar Community Association and a site at St. Colmcille’s High School in the village has been identified as the preferred location for the multi-million pound project.

At Monday night’s meeting of Down Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, Rowallane councillor Maria McCarthy suggested potential exists to secure funding from other sources to help finance the Crossgar scheme. She said it’s important all possible funding avenues are explored.

“Given that the preferred option for the community facilities is at St. Colmcille’s High School, the Director of Recreation has been asked to carry out an exercise to identify potential funders to assist with the total cost of the scheme,” she explained.

“This project will cost £4m in its entirety. However, the entire cost need not necessarily come from Down Council’s capital spend programme.”

Councillor McCarthy said it’s important all funding options are reviewed in order for the new super council to be in receipt of the entire information relating to the project.

She continued: “There are a number of competing demands across the new council area for funding. It is crucial that by identifying other funding bodies, we make the Crossgar project as attractive and as attainable as possible.”

Councillor McCarthy said she has been working on the multi-million pound scheme along with the Crossgar Community Association for a number of years.

She added: “I am pleased this is another step forward to the realisation of these facilities which were unanimously supported on Monday night by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. The new council will consider this scheme in relation to its capital spend programme.”

Down Council has already identified money to finance an economic appraisal on the Crossgar proposal, while a feasibility study undertaken by consultants working on behalf of the local authority in 2008 highlighted the need for the new facilities in the village and identified a number of potential sites, including St. Colmcille’s.