Brooke Park Pavilion decision deferred

Councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Health and Community Committee have deferred a decision on recommendations to carry out refurbishments on Brooke Park Bowling Pavilion at an approximate cost of between £50,000 and £60,000 and mandating officers to investigate long-term plans for the site.

The two options available to Councillors were either replacement or refurbishment. The estimated cost to replace the existing structure with a new like-for-like structure is approximately £180,000, whilst the estimated cost of refurbishment was approximately £60,000.

Speaking on the options available People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin said; “The structure has been there for 40 years and it is in a bad state right now and is no longer adequate. There’s been an ongoing campaign calling for a proper upgrade and it should probably have been done as part of the regeneration of Brooke Park but it hasn’t been done yet.”

Independent Councillor Paul Gallagher suggested that it would be ‘in everyone’s best interests to defer to January’s meeting.’ He said; “I think we should defer it for the time being and that will allow for the continuation of this work - something that reinforces to locals that the plans are that we are going to take this to a permanent structure that is going to cater for the needs of local people. “It is in the best interests of everyone just to defer it to January’s meeting and in the meantime get to a consensus of the way forward.

“We have to be realistic in the context of what funding is available.”

The next meeting of the Health and Community Committee will take place on January 14, 2021.