A THREE-way tussle is preventing the repair and reopening of a major local sports centre which has been closed for two months.
A crack in the main floor of Portaferry Sports Centre forced the closure of the centre on June 30 but having been closed throughout the summer, there is still no sign of the doors reopening.
A dispute between Ards and North Down Council, the Education Authority and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools as to who is responsible for repairing the floor means there is still no indication of when the sports centre will reopen.
With the traditionally busy autumn and winter schedule of classes and activities about to get underway a local councillor said local people are getting frustrated that the problems are not being addressed ‘in a timely manner’.
The main hall in the centre was closed on June 30 following an inspection by Ards and North Down council’s health and safety unit. Limited activities have since been taking place in the hall’s foyer area in what councillor Joe Boyle has described as a ‘greatly reduced Plan B’.
But Mr Boyle said the uncertainty hanging over the resolution of the floor repairs have been protracted because of a quibble over who has responsibility to carry out the repairs – the council or the Education Authority (EA). The EA has in turn said the Council for Catholic Maintained School should carry out the repairs.
Mr Boyle said ‘customers are becoming impatient’ adding that staff were also being ‘placed in a difficult position of not knowing what is really going on or indeed what is proposed to take place moving forward’.
“There is an ongoing situation of being bounced from pillar to post between council and the Education Authority, given the management arrangements as to who is responsible for rectifying this situation,” he said.
“The reality however is that the situation needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency so that a community and its users and members can avail of the complete centre and not restricted due to an ongoing issue that currently no one appears to want to deal with or accept responsibility for,” he continued.
Mr Boyle said the closure of the centre’s main hall ‘caused problems during Gala Week where it would have been used’.
“Further, the school summer holidays now coming to an end and an increase of usage expected during the winter months presents additional problems needing to be addressed.’
The local representative said he also had serious concerns about ‘the overall appearance and lack of maintenance within the grounds of this facility’.
“The name of the facility is practically grown over with planting clearly out of control; the drains throughout the car park are clearly blocked causing flooding throughout the area; there is a trip hazard with a road works cone placed over it for a prolonged period of time, all of this totally unacceptable and certainly would not be tolerated within any other leisure venues across the Borough.
“It needs to be addressed now without any further unnecessary delays,” he insisted.
A spokesman for Ards and North Down Council said a management agreement between St. Columba’s College and the council is in place regarding the centre.
“While general maintenance costs are shared by the college and the council, the agreement specifies that the college is responsible for establishing all contracts for maintenance work and is responsible for supervising and controlling the contractors,” he said.
“We understand the frustrations felt by centre-users and are working with the college towards a mutually satisfactory resolution.
A spokesman for the Education Authority directed the Chronicle to the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools which confirmed a response would be forthcoming next week.
