Loughmacrory community development held up by Executive absence

A DECISION on whether the former grounds of the Loughmacrory St Teresa’s GAA club can be leased to a local community group at a nominal rate of £1 a year is now dependent on whether the Stormont Executive is re-established.

The land at Killybrack Road in the village was the home of the ladies and mens footballers until earlier this century.

While owned by the former Omagh District Council, the local GAA club was able to make use of the land under a 25-year lease agreement.

Earlier this year, the Friends of Loughmacrory community group asked Fermanagh and Omagh District Council – which superseded the legacy Omagh District Council in 2015 – for the ground to be leased to them in order for it to be redeveloped.

Planning approval is in place at the site for community use, including replacement floodlighting, dug outs, multi-sports ball wall, trim trail pathways, outdoor gym equipment and a storage facility.

A minimal rental fee of £1 per year was provisionally set by the local council, which had to be approved by the Land and Property Services (LPS).

Friends of Loughmacrory had written to the local council during the summer asking for a 99-year lease.

This, they added, would enable them to avail of enhanced grant aid.

But, the LPS subsequently reassessed the case and set a rental rate of £4,600 annually for the land.

After the reassessment, the LPS stated that it was up to the local council to decide whether or not to proceed to charge this amount, or adopt a nominal rental fee based on the perceived community need and business objectives in the case.

The matter was discussed again at a recent meeting of FODC Environment Services committee. The meeting was informed that councils are not permitted to dispose of land at less than the best price unless approval is granted by the ‘Ministry’, which, in this case, is the Department for Communities.

The department advised the council that, while it will continue to accept submissions for less than best price disposals, no decisions will be taken in the absence of a Minister unless legislation is put in place delegating the decision to the Permanent Secretary.

Speaking at the meeting, local Sinn Fein councillor, Padraigin Kelly, said that the Friends of Loughmacrory group had been doing a large amount of work in the area, but simply couldn’t afford to have to pay the £4,600 fee as outlined in the report.

She said, “The people of Loughmacrory have maintained this area for years. We need to pause on this because it is too much money at this time for community groups, and they don’t have it.”