[Boba Fett22]

Belfast North Foreshore is a 300 odd acre site 2 miles from the centre.

Planned for it are an Environmental recovery park and "Giants Park" which will house playing fields etc.

I think Giants Park is a waste of space (some of it) why not put something better into the Foreshore (like build something?).

300 acres there is potential to drive the city forward.

 

[festivephone]

Alot of the north foreshore area is mostly landfill which is predominantly household waste. This is only suitable for use as parkland. I was looking on google earth at it and i can see alot of shallow water ajacent that could be reclaimed with 6 inch quarried stone as was done a number of years ago somwhere in around the harbour. I believe if this was done it would make a fantastic area for the national stadium. The infrastructure is already there and the etting is perfect wth the sea, harland and wolff cranes and belfast in the background

 

[belfastuniguy]

North Foreshore would be an absolutely fantastic location for the National Stadium.

I like some of the plans, such as an environmental park and innovation centre and more parkland, but I agree something of more value could be built their. A national stadium and some new sport training venues would be fantastic.

 

[PB-1888]

Add my vote to the sports stadium at North Foreshore. In Belfast and beside the M2. Building the stadium in the middle of nowhere (Maze outside Lisburn) caters to politics but not reality.

A friend who works in City council told me a while back that the proposed Giant's park has been put on hold, although an incinerator is still be planned. This was in August. Not sure if things are any different now.

Wasn't the proposed cable car to Cavehill also planned to begin at North Foreshore? I don't think many would welcome it, but I think it deserves a bit more looking into.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Well I'm opposed to a cable car idea, would look utterly horrendous on Cavehill.

I mean its not that bloody high to climb, people these days are just so lazy.

 

[Boba Fett22]

There was an article in the Tele that said the Stadium may not get built at the Maze.

I just hope that does not mean the whole package does not get built, the industrial area, the hotel and leisure village etc.

I was looking forward to it because I was looking at the whole package.

But if they don't build the stadium at the Maze, I hope they build something in it's place plus the other stuff.

Regarding North Foreshore, PB-1888 ask your mate if there is any chance the thirty year thing will be changed.

They said they could not build on part of the site for thirty years for safety reasons, something to do with it being a former dump site. Is there nothing that could be done to bring the time closer.

 

[owengriffiths]

Linfield are possibly going to build a new ground on the Shore Rd, which is across the motorway from the North forehore, I think Crusaders are considering having a replacement stadium on the road as well. It would be quite strange if there were several stadiums within a mile of each other.

For transport links the North foreshore would be such a no brainer though. A spacious motorway that never reaches full capacity, a railway, presumably enough space for carparks and a par as well

 

[PB-1888]

Whats going to happen to Windsor Park then?

"Never reaches full capacity". God I wouldn't like to see it get any worse.

Think its a funding issue re the park.

 

[owengriffiths]

As it currently stands they could easily get rid of a lane in each direction without it having much effect. It's one of the most pleasant motorways there is.

As for windsor, well it was earlier in the year when I heard about them moving to the Shore Rd, with the government funding they got yesterday this possibly wont be happening now

 

[G.C.]

Linfield are possibly going to build a new ground on the Shore Rd, which is across the motorway from the North forehore, I think Crusaders are considering having a replacement stadium on the road as well. It would be quite strange if there were several stadiums within a mile of each other.

We will not be leaving Windsor Park. Whoever made that statement is completley wrong.

As already announced Crusaders will groundshare with Newington in a new stadoum at the Valley Leisure cnetre.

 

[G.C.]

COMMUNITY STADIUM AND SPORTS EDUCATIONAL VILLAGE

On Thursday 28th August at 10.30am in the Lansdowne Hotel Antrim Road Belfast, Crusaders Football Club and Newington Football Club launch the proposed shared Community Stadium and Sports Educational Village.

A wide spectrum from all sections of the Community have been invited along and among this who will be speaking at the Launch will be:

Jackie Fullerton who will be acting as MC
From the footballing side;
Crusaders FC Manager Stephen Baxter
Newington FC Manager Eamon McCarthy
From Community Relations angle;
Duncan Morrow Community Relations Council
Trevor Ringland

From the Education side
Andy McMorran Principal Ashfield Boys School

Investors View
Peter Curistan Sheridan Group
Raymond Sexton

Words of Support for the Project from;

Eamon McCartan Sport NI
Howard Wells CEO Irish Football Association
Captain of Crusaders 1973 League winning side Walter McFarland
Liam Beckett former player and former Manager of Cliftonville FC and Institute FC

We will also have the political view on the proposals from;

Nigel Dodds MP,MLA
Fred Cobain MLA
Gerry Kelly MLA
Alban Maginnis MLA

Also the signing of the joint working principles, head of agreement on joint working between the Clubs and the ground sharing agreement for 2008/09

Other Guest speakers will be Fintan Drury and Jim Roddy Platinum One " Putting football on a professional basis"

Closing the proceedings will be a Q&A session several spoke persons from Crusaders FC and Newington FC
will be available for interview after the event.

 

[PB-1888]

Just in case anyone's not sure where we're talking about:

The development site (landfill) is the in the foreground beside the motorway. In the distance is part of Belfast Port and City Airport. The area is probably about a fifth the size of Phoenix Park in Dublin.

 

[Boba Fett22]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7774710.stm

 

[citybus]

Would be interested to know what the environmentalists take on this is. methane gas is a significant contributor to global warming, cows farting and all that. Could they turn this gas into electricity without lots of nasty pollution.

 

[belfast exile]

Would the gas not just be burned in the same way as normal gas power plants? And would this actually mean a reduction in potential methane gas release?

I don't actually know the answers.

Regarding the Northern Foreshore (another question) - was there not issues a few years back - before they decided on Giants park - that it wasn't possible to put a stadium or any large structure on a former landfill site?

If I'm making that up then the mind boggles as to why planning permission hasn't already been applied for on such an accessible site.

 

[citybus]

If I'm making that up then the mind boggles as to why planning permission hasn't already been applied for on such an accessible site.

The planning department moves in mysterious ways.

Looking up on wikipedia, it says methane gives out a lot less carbon than coal or oil. And it turns out that phoenix natural gas is largely made up of methane. So you could look at this Methane power plant as merely a new power station. They got rid of one in the docks a few years ago, this could be part of the new fleet of power stations they will need to replace all the ageing ones.

So the giants park could be overlooked by a bloody big fossil burning power station. Not what the environmentalists would want I'd say

 

[festivephone]

You definetly could not build on the north forshore due to the rubbish and methane but my suggestion is reclaiming the area between the docks and the old rubbish dump with quarried stone which can be build on immediatly. It would also keep the quarrying industry tick over until the end of the recession and create high quality industrial or commercial land

 

[belfastuniguy]

So the giants park could be overlooked by a bloody big fossil burning power station. Not what the environmentalists would want I'd say

Methane gas is not a fossil fuel, so that statement is actually flawed. Methane is an important contributor to greenhouse gas pollution, one of the worst in fact. The burning of methane produces little carbon dioxide given the weaker and less complex molecular structure of Methane.

So its really not like having a great big Kilroot on the North Foreshore. In addition to the fact the Methane from the landfill is already burned off as it escapes, so may as well make proper use of it and power 6/7000 homes.

 

[citybus]

Natural gas is made up primarily of methane and it is a fossil fuel, why shouldnt pure methane be one. I'm no expert on science, but this article suggests its a fossil fuel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

If the current concrete of the decommissioned landfill, and the soil and tarmac of giants park cant keep the methane from escaping into the air then it looks like we dont lose anything by burning it for electricity. What I'm more pissed off about is that the government will probably put a lot of effort into developing this system rather than doing anything along the lines of windmills, wavepower, solar panels etc.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Natural gas is made up primarily of methane and it is a fossil fuel, why shouldnt pure methane be one. I'm no expert on science, but this article suggests its a fossil fuel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

If the current concrete of the decommissioned landfill, and the soil and tarmac of giants park cant keep the methane from escaping into the air then it looks like we dont lose anything by burning it for electricity. What I'm more pissed off about is that the government will probably put a lot of effort into developing this system rather than doing anything along the lines of windmills, wavepower, solar panels etc.

Methane gas itself is not a fossil fuel. Natural gas is not pure methane but a mixture of heavier hydrocarbons.

For a fuel to be classed as a Fossil fuel it needs to be extracted from the earth's crust, pure methane is not extracted from the earth, but primarily the result of rotting biomass. You also have to let methane escape from landfill, otherwise pressure will built resulting in an explosion, so simply pouring concrete over it would be a very bad idea.

Also, solar panels are woefully ineffective at generating electricity and incredibly expensive to install for very little return. Windmills are also very expensive and only suitable for certain areas, same for wavepower.