A war of words has broken out over plans to transform Ireland’s most notorious prison into a national stadium.
William Humphrey, Democratic Unionist Party councillor and high sheriff of Belfast, has hit back at government plans to redevelop the former Maze prison 10 miles outside Belfast as the province’s national sports stadium.
“It’s the worst type of arrogance, which manifests from direct rule,” he said.
Humphrey said the stadium should be in the city centre, to boost the local economy.
Douglas Wheeler, partner at BTW Shiells, added: “A lot of people in the greater Belfast area won’t go to it. But if it’s in the city centre, people could walk to it.
“The province’s biggest stadium should be in the centre of the biggest population.”
Despite strong opposition, the government is pushing ahead with transforming the 360-acre site into a 45,000-seat stadium.
German architect GMP International, Australian firm New Generation Stadia, and the UK’s Mackenzie Partnership, Mott MacDonald and Turner & Townsend have been shortlisted to design the scheme.
David Hanson, minister of state at the Northern Ireland office, said the government had £80m of funding for the Maze and would not spend that cash on any other project.
References: EGi News 22/09/06
