By Alan Healy
Councillors yesterday gave the go-ahead for two new pitches at the site of a former school in Derry.
The approval came at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee in the Guildhall.
The new pitches will be built at the site of the former Immaculate Conception College on Trench Road.
The project will involve the upgrading of existing playing pitches to provide a new grass floodlit GAA football pitch with changing facilities and the refurbishment of an existing all-weather multi-use pitch.
The site is within the grounds of the former Immaculate Conception College and immediately adjacent to and north-east of the Top of the Hill Country Park.
The site area measures 3.4 hectares and will be accessed via a new access point from Corrody Road to the north-west of the proposed site.
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan, welcomed the approval.
Mr Durkan said: “It is great to see progress on this project which has been planned and aspired to for a long time. The creation of new, state of the art facilities will be a tremendous boost for the area.
"In particular, the new facilities will provide a great base for Na Piarsaigh Doire Trasna. Last season, I followed the club’s great success in the league and championship, this will give them the capacity to grow and strengthen not only their own teams but also Gaelic games in Derry in general.”
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