THE funding of Spórtlann na hÉireann by Belfast City Council has taken a step forward after the Council’s People and Communities Committee agreed this week to a review of public use provision at the Falls sports centre.
 
The committee also agreed to recommend to the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to implement bridging support for the centre until that review is completed.

In 2009, following a strategic review of Council indoor leisure facilities, the transfer of the site at Beechmount Leisure Centre to Coláiste Feirste /Fobairt Feirste was agreed, subject to detailed terms, which included public use. 

The transfer was initially to be at no charge, but officers subsequently negotiated a price of £2.3 million subject to appropriate terms to be included in a legal agreement and a service level agreement.  The proposal was developed on the basis that the Council would not incur operating costs following transfer.

The terms of a service level agreement (SLA) in respect of the public use were negotiated with the trustees at the time, to provide for the provision of public use. However, that SLA was not signed by either party meaning it has not been legally executed. 

Following concerns about the financial viability of sustaining the public use expressed by the trustees at the time, Belfast City Council agreed the SLA should include a clause providing for a review after the first year of operating, and every three years after. 

The SLA was drafted to provide that should the public use prove to be uneconomical for the trustees after the review, the Council would have the option to either provide financial support to the trustees to safeguard the public use, or to release the trustees from their obligation to provide it. 

Addressing the committee, Sinn Féin Councillor Matt Garrett said: “There is a concern that this is an unexecuted SLA. They [Coláiste Feirste] have indicated that they could potentially be running at a deficit of £53,000 per year in respect of making those facilities available.

“The concern is that you have a first class, state-of-the-art facility here and you haven’t got the ability to offer what it can present to the community because you haven’t got enough people, you haven’t got enough resources or funding to allow that to happen.”

The proposal will now be brought to full council for ratification early next month.