Nationalist parties say the decision is “discrimination” and “anti- GAA.”
Plans to end concerts at Boucher Road Playing Fields for two new GAA pitches and a soccer pitch have been shelved.
Now discussions on the future of the park will return to the Belfast City Council table after a significant backlash by promoters, the music community and local politicians.
Last Friday the majority of elected representatives at a Belfast City Committee meeting decided to return the Boucher Road Playing Fields to their “original purpose” as a dedicated sports facility, meaning large-scale music concerts and festivals at the site would end in a few years time.
However, at the February meeting of the full Belfast Council on Monday, February 9, on a tight vote the chamber passed a joint DUP and Alliance proposal, and then a Green Party proposal. Both proposed defer a decision on Boucher Road Playing Fields, pending further discussions, which might include looking at the possibility of dual-use at the park to keep big music gigs there.
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Sinn Féin said the decision was “discrimination,” while the SDLP said it was “anti- GAA.”
The council stated after the meeting: “At the full meeting of council on Monday February 9, elected members agreed to refer any decision regarding the council’s pitches programme back to its Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for further discussion.
“This includes a decision on the future use of Boucher Road Playing Fields, with agreement by elected members to bring back a specific report on this particular location.”
On Friday a decision was made behind closed doors at City Hall on Friday, in a restricted session away from the public and press, to provide two full-size GAA pitches and one intermediate soccer pitch at the Playing Fields, as part of the council’s Pitch Strategy. The decision sailed through with votes from Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the DUP, but with opposition from Alliance.
The balance of power changed on Monday after the DUP changed their position on the proposal, and a joint Alliance/DUP proposal got through, backed by 30 votes in favour to 28 votes against. A Green Party proposal to defer all decisions back to committee passed on a similar score, and technically is the chosen amendment.
If Friday’s decision had been ratified at the full council, Belfast would have lost a major outdoor concert venue with a capacity of 40,000. Known for hosting massive concerts and festivals like Belfast Vital, the Fields have hosted A listers such as Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, The Killers, Sam Fender, and Eminem.
This has not come without controversy, and locals have been airing their grievances for years about the disruption created by the big live events. The Fields have hosted large gigs since 2010, and while a huge source of income to the city economy, are an ongoing source of upset to neighbours.
Every summer South Belfast councillors warn of disruption and logistical challenges for residents during the summer season of big concerts. In 2024 the council set up a “Social Value Fund” to be allocated to those local communities beside Boucher Road Playing Fields who felt adverse effects from large concerts.
In June 2022 Boucher Fields were confirmed to remain a venue for music gigs and other events, when its entertainment licence was renewed, despite complaints and objections from local residents. Two months later Belfast council announced extra residential security to protect residents around the Playing Fields gigs after people were left “traumatised” in their homes after an Ed Sheeran concert.
After the announcements on Friday by Sinn Féin that the GAA pitches and a soccer pitch were approved, and gigs would end at Boucher, critics argued that closing the venue without an alternative site lined up would “kill” the city’s large-scale music scene. They added the lack of a transition plan would leave a significant gap in the city’s cultural and arts infrastructure.
The Alliance/DUP proposal states the council “agrees to defer any final decision regarding the future of the Boucher Road site,” and requests a report including an assessment of how the site can be “reconfigured to support enhanced sports provision alongside a major events venue with a capacity of up to 40,000.”
The proposal asks for an evaluation of “potential alternative sites across the city suitable for development as a major events space” as well as “a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of Boucher Road operating as an events venue, including benefits to local businesses, tourism, and employment.”
The proposal also urges the council to work with promoters and partners such as Eventsec, MCD, and Shine, to “look at options of creating a hybrid site which provides sporting facilities and large scale events with a capacity of 40,000.”
DUP Councillor Sarah Bunting said at the meeting: “It does feel some of these decisions have been pushed through in a whirlwind of activity, and it might be time just to take a slight pause, even though the usual slow process of getting things through this council can be extremely frustrating at times.
“We fully support the return of Boucher Playing Fields to pitches, that 100 percent remains our objective, we have worked persistently to move this forward and our position hasn’t changed.”
She added: “What I cannot support is the political theatre, which we witnessed on Friday with both the Pitches Strategy and leisure transformation. Before these issues even reached full council, before ratification and before final scrutiny in this chamber, Sinn Féin’s well-oiled publicity machine was already in motion.
“Press releases were issued, credits were named and narratives were written, but importantly process was ignored. And then predictably came the photo opportunities.”
She added: “Over the past few days we have engaged directly with promoters. They have indicated a willingness to work constructively with the council, and crucially to potentially cover the costs of additional works required to ensure this site can function both as pitches and as an events space.”
Green Party Councillor Áine Groogan said: “We have really put the cart before the horse here. The Pitches Strategy has not been agreed, it is due to come back next month, and I don’t understand why we are agreeing outcomes of a strategy that is not itself agreed.
“Decision in terms of priorities for funding and phasing should all flow from the strategy.”
Alliance Councillor Micky Murray said: “No one is arguing Boucher Road should remain an events space forever. I am not opposed to turning it to playing fields in the long term, to close it without first securing a replacement is simply poor planning.
“We all know that music tourism is a major economic driver that contributes over £135 million to the local economy. What we get at Boucher is over £10 million to the local economy, £2.5 million in hotel stays and £1 million in other hospitality.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie said: “There is one way to describe this, and it is discrimination. It is because of what it is. We are talking about 26 sites across Belfast, and the only two sites that people have issues with are GAA pitches.
“If you look at the usage across the city, in terms of the deficit, there are 45,158 hours of a deficit for GAA in the city. That is nearly double what it is for soccer.”
He said the hybrid approach “just wouldn’t work” at Boucher, and said Sinn Féin would be demanding an equality impact assessment on any decision to block the Boucher pitches plan.
SDLP Councillor Carl Whyte said a deferral was “an anti-GAA move in the chamber.”
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