Hopes of temporary lighting at Gortgonis running track

MID Ulster councillors are to be briefed on the feasibility of providing temporary lighting at Gortgonis, in Coalisland, so that the running track can still be used until work commences in January on the new Gortgonis Leisure and Wellbeing facilities.

Councillor Nuala McLernon has been pressing the local authority on this issue for some time, and she raised the matter again at the October 15 Development Committee meeting of Mid Ulster District Council.

The Sinn Féin representative for Torrent DEA asked: “At the last meeting I had inquired as to where we’re at with the NIE connection at Gortgonis leisure facilities, whether we could be connected before the works commence in the New Year, just to allow the track to remain usable during the winter months, if there are any further updates on that.”

Strategic Development Manager for the Communities and Place directorate, Martina Totten replied: “If you remember, there were two elements to that. There was, first, the connection, the main connection to the site that’s going to be used for future development. So that has now been completed.

“And the second element then was that temporary solution to the track lighting. So, we have received all of the information back and the feasibility of that, and that will be taken to the [next] board meeting, and we will hopefully update councillors as soon as we have a decision from that meeting.”

Gortgonis Leisure and Wellbeing facilities will include a new leisure and community centre, a new multiple-lane shale track, a new 3G pitch and a new play park.