Attempt to deny Dungiven sports facilities is 'blatant sectarian discrimination'

A Dungiven councillor has branded a motion to delay plans for new state-of-the art sport facilities in the town  until October as ‘sectarian.’

At a meeting of the new Causeway Coast and Glens Shadow Council on Thursday night, a vote was taken to defer the Dungiven project until October.

Plans for the development, which are already at an advanced stage, have been the result of three years' work. However the decision to defer capital expenditure of almost £12 million to October, may mean that the process will have to start again.

Speaking last night, councillor McGlinchey vowed that he would ‘not give up.’

He said: “I believe that this decision is due to a sectarian attitude from Unionist councillors towards Dungiven.

“There is clear hypocrisy from unionist councillors supporting the project at Limavady Borough Council but then voting against or abstaining during votes on the project at Causeway Coast and Glen Council.

“I have submitted a proposal for a recall of the Causeway Coast and Glens Council in order to get agreement the Dungiven Sports facilities is included in the Capital projects scheme.

 “The people of the local area have no adequate sports facilities, the current facilities are actually condemned. There isn’t even any wheel chair access at the Sports Pavilion.

“It is an absolute disgrace that this project has been put on hold.

“It is taken three years of hard work to get the plans to this stage. Some councillors are in bits over this.

This is a real low and the people of Dungiven will not take this lying down.

“Dungiven gets nothing but I will not give up on this fight,” vowed the Sinn Féin man. 

Mr McGlinchey has called on all local sporting and community bodies to attend a meeting in St Canice’s GAC GAA Hall on Wednesday night at 9pm to discuss the issue.

For more on this story see today’s County Derry Post.