Whilst I am aware that the process to date has been based on best practice and assisted by eminently qualified experts I would hope that when people are more fully informed on the detailed work undertaken to date they will be reassured that the process has been extensive and thorough.
The fact that the Committee has convened this special meeting confirms the great deal of public interest in this matter, and the passion and ambition throughout our community to achieve sporting excellence.
Let me assure the Committee from the outset, I’m determined to discharge my Ministerial responsibilities with openness, transparency, impartiality and integrity.
Based upon these principles I’m determined to play my part within the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly to provide visionary leadership in seeking to address the serious deficit in Northern Ireland’s cultural and sporting infrastructure.
We know from experience elsewhere, that, if properly designed and executed, a multi-sports stadium can greatly enhance the sporting and cultural richness of nations and regions. It can provide a tremendous sense of pride and place – a theatre of dreams for honouring the sporting and cultural heroes of today and tomorrow.
As we contemplate the future I’m privileged to be part of this “once in a generation opportunity” to shape the sporting and cultural landscape of Northern Ireland.
My immediate priority is to ensure the widest possible community consensus on how to address the serious deficit in our cultural and sporting infrastructure, and in particular secure agreement on the most strategically advantageous way of enabling Northern Ireland to host sporting and cultural events of international significance.
As the Committee will be aware, the concept of a Multi-sports stadium for Northern Ireland is not new and, indeed, has been on both the sporting and political agenda since the mid-1990’s.
The Bradford, Heysel and Hillsborough disasters led to the landmark report by Lord Chief Justice Taylor that concluded that the sporting venues in Great Britain were unsafe, poorly designed and did not meet the needs and expectations of the modern-day spectator. At that time, attendances at major sporting events, particularly football, were in serious decline.
As a result of the full implementation of the Taylor Report, stadiums in Great Britain were constructed to appropriate standards of safety and comfort that have led to attendances almost doubling in the last 15 years and the successful hosting of major sporting events such as Euro ‘96.
Regrettably, the legislation did not cross the Irish Sea and, as a result, the tremendous resurgence in spectator attendances experienced across the water, has not occurred in Northern Ireland. Indeed, we have fallen further and further behind.
Sparked by concerns regarding the standards of safety and comfort at local sporting venues; and appreciating the direct link between these standards and sporting attendance; a number of official Government reports were commissioned by, among others, the Department of Education and the Health and Safety Agency. These concluded that even Northern Ireland’s best existing stadia fell far short of the standards now in existence elsewhere.
As a result, in the late 1990’s, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, along with the major sporting bodies, sought to address these shortcomings and proposed the creation of a shared use multi-sports stadium for all the main sports. A report published in 1999 for the Department of Education and Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s National Stadium Working Party concluded that such a proposal could indeed be achieved and there was “a prima facie” case for further detailed investigation.
This work culminated in a Sports Council paper approved and published in April 2003. Drawing upon the best practice now in existence in Great Britain in relation to both safety and comfort, this Sports Council paper concluded that none of Northern Ireland’s existing stadia was capable of delivering against modern needs. This paper is available if required.
A new modern, multi-sports stadium was required for the shared use of football, gaelic and rugby. Such a facility would be more cost-effective and sustainable, put Northern Ireland on the map for major international events; and, importantly, address the need to end “benign apartheid” in our sporting activities.
In January 2004, as a direct response to the Sports Council paper and local political interest, Angela Smith, the then Minister for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, asked the Strategic Investment Board to undertake an initial business planning exercise (non-site specific at this stage) to assess whether a “shared future” multi-sports stadium for football, rugby and gaelic could be operationally viable (ie sustainable without the need for ongoing public revenue subsidy).
Stadium business plan experts from PwC Hospitality & Leisure (London) worked with both the Strategic Investment Board and representatives of the three key sports and, in May 2004, were able to conclude that, providing all three sports were involved, a “shared future” multi-sports stadium could, indeed, be operationally viable. A copy of this initial Business Plan has been provided to the Committee for your information.
As a result, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure then asked the Strategic Investment Board to undertake an independent site appraisal exercise to evaluate the potential for finding a suitable site, technically deliverable within reasonable timescales and acceptable to all three sports necessary for the “shared future” multi-sports stadium.
A public advertisement in May 2004 received 12 site responses. All 12 sites were then placed on a formal long-list for an initial technical assessment on deliverability within reasonable timescales. This exercise was undertaken by independent professionals from BDP (planning), Faber Maunsell (transport infrastructure) and Davis Langdon (cost and project management). It also involved consultation with the Department of the Environment Planning Service, Roads Service and Translink; and made extensive use of site information supplied by the site owners themselves. This independent report was published in full by the Strategic Investment Board and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure two weeks ago.
Of the 12 sites, the technical report recommended two sites for further analysis – the Maze and North Foreshore – with the remaining sites falling short on a range of technical deliverability grounds (such as planning, transport and site assembly). The Strategic Investment Board wrote to all site owners with a summary of reasons for their site (or sites) either making the shortlist or not.
The technical report concluded that, of the two short-listed sites, the Ex Maze Prison site appeared to satisfy relatively more of the deliverability requirements than the North Foreshore site, particularly given the uncertainty regarding the extent of the site contamination issues at North Foreshore and the limited potential scale of adjacent commercial development.
Following the Site Selection Technical Report, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure/Strategic Investment Board and Sports Council for Northern Ireland consulted with the three sports involved. All three sports, football, rugby and gaelic, expressed a willingness to participate in a Stadium at the Maze.
As a result, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure announced in March 2005 that, for the purpose of moving forward with the business planning and project delivery work on the proposed stadium, the Maze was the only site under consideration.
Committee members will be aware that it was around this same time that the cross party Maze Consultation Panel independently published its own report, ‘A new Future for the Maze/Long Kesh’. The Panel’s report recommended a number of key elements for the transformation and regeneration of the site, including a “shared future” multi-sports stadium for football, rugby and gaelic. The Panel’s Report was endorsed by all four party leaders at the time and Ministers were urged to act swiftly to deliver on the Report and explore the mutual benefits to be gained from a private sector development partner.
Senior representatives from the three sports have since continued to work with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure/Strategic Investment Board/Sports Council for Northern Ireland and PwC London on an updated Stadium Business Plan, specifically for the Maze site. An August 2005 version of this business plan has been provided to Committee Members for information, along with the relevant economic appraisal at that time.
The Committee will also notice that the 2003 Sports Council paper, referred to earlier, has been drawn upon extensively in the “Assessment of Need” section of the 2005 economic appraisal.
In January 2006, at the request of David Hanson, the then Minister with responsibility for the multi-sports stadium, all three sports “committed in principle” to the stadium at the Maze. Later that same year, representatives of the three sports were asked to work alongside the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure/Strategic Investment Board and the Sports Council on the detailed design of the multi-sports stadium with a design consortia lead by HOK, the internationally-renowned stadium architects.
It is important to remember that this Business Planning and stadium design work has now been on-going for some considerable time and has involved significant and detailed input from senior representatives from each of the three sports.
I am aware that, in the coming weeks, each of the three sports will be asked to sign off the current Multi-Sports Stadium Business Plan. The stadium design that they have all been working on will also form part of the financial and economic appraisal of the wider Maze development plans that will also be submitted to the relevant Government Departments shortly.
Clearly, at this sensitive stage, I cannot pre-judge Executive decisions that will be taken on value for money, viability and affordability grounds. However, let me share with you excerpts from a letter I received on 16 July 2007 from the Irish Football Association, through their Chief Executive, Mr Howard Wells. The letter included the following:
“From my knowledge, other than the Maze proposal, there appears to be no other viable bid on the table, or one that will come forward in the near future…. The IFA can barely sustain international football on current levels of attendance of 13,000 plus…. We are actively pursuing the option of playing two friendly matches next February and March overseas as a means of generating revenue… So further procrastination [on the Stadium issue] has the potential to lead us nowhere other than down a blind alley… It is unlikely that any Belfast-driven initiative will sit well with the concept of a shared future, the IFA is very keen to work with the other two sports to drive change and to market sport across all sections of the community.”
I am aware that the other two sports, gaelic and rugby, have expressed concerns about uncertainty and the slow progress on this matter. We owe it to our sporting community to address this issue as a matter of importance.
In terms of timescale for making decisions on these issues, the overriding consideration is the need to make the right decisions, and therefore the Executive will take whatever time is necessary to ensure that the public interest is best served.
However, a number of timing issues have to be factored into the decision-making process:
The capability of Windsor Park to meet UEFA, FIFA and Health and Safety requirements for major fixtures is seriously in doubt. Whilst this is the responsibility of Linfield FC and the IFA in the first instance it is obvious that the IFA will want to consider this within the context of the proposed multi-sports stadium;
Importantly, the implementation of the recently- enacted Safety of Sport Grounds Order, (legislation that would bring the safety standards at local venues in line with those enjoyed at stadia throughout the rest of the United Kingdom), will result in a significant reduction in capacity at our larger stadia. This will undoubtedly reduce the number of our citizens who can attend the many attractive sporting fixtures played in Northern Ireland and will impact on the financial viability of the respective governing bodies;
The 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, incorporating the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland, will be subject to Assembly approval later this year and ideally any capital and resource consequences in respect of the Maze and/or a proposed stadium should be factored into these budgetary processes;
The opportunity for Northern Ireland to host a number of Olympic group soccer matches as part of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games is contingent on the availability of a “fit for purpose” stadium;
The hosting of the World Police and Fire Games in 2013 is predicated on a Stadium being available within the greater Belfast area and, indeed, Committee members will be aware of the central importance and symbolism that a shared future multi-sports stadium at the Maze was to this bid; and
The potential to yield maximum benefits from any private sector partnering arrangement is more likely to be achieved if uncertainties are removed and an agreed development scenario is put in place as soon as possible. This will be important if we are to maintain the confidence and the trust of potential developers.
Mindful of the above timing issues, I made my position clear on taking-up Ministerial office that I was keen to hear of any other options capable of meeting the key deliverables of the existing policy framework. I wanted to ensure that any potentially viable options could be factored into the decision-making process.
I want to ensure that the Executive have available all the relevant data to facilitate the examination of the full costs and benefits of the proposed multi-sports stadium, operating as I have within the policy and processes I inherited.
PwC are currently preparing the updated business case for the proposed “shared future” stadium. For comparative purposes this cost benefit analysis will include a range of options - including the option of refurbishing existing stadia, and an appraisal of a virtual Belfast option. If other potentially viable and policy compliant options for a stadium had been sufficiently advanced it would have been possible to have modelled these into the options appraisal currently nearing completion.
As Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure I want to play my part within the Executive in capturing opportunities, such as a proposed multi-sports stadium.
These “once in a generation” opportunities have to be approached with a creative and open mind and all stakeholders have to be prepared to subordinate narrow local interests in the advancement of the wider public interests.
I fully intend to discharge my responsibilities in this regard and to take whatever steps are necessary to inform the public about the process of reaching decisions on the proposed multi-sports stadium; regardless of whatever decisions might ultimately be taken.
An important milestone in this process will be the completion of the various stadium design, infrastructure design, environmental impact assessment, other pre- planning application processes, and private sector development partner competition.
By way of conclusion I have outlined today the policy framework which I inherited upon taking office; underpinned by several millions of pounds of financial appraisal, project development and pre-planning exercises subsequently commissioned by OFMDFM and DCAL. All these exercises are nearing completion.
A new stadium for Northern Ireland has been discussed for at least the last 10-15 years without any prospect of actual delivery to date. The situation regarding the staging of future international soccer matches is particularly pressing. Please note in particular the content of the 16 July letter from the Chief Executive of the IFA to myself.
Decisions on the future use of the Maze site and investments in Northern Ireland’s sporting and cultural infrastructure are ultimately matters to be determined by the NI Devolved Administration acting in the public interest.
My immediate priority is to ensure that the various work streams related to the proposed stadium are completed, analysed and factored into the deliberations of the Executive.
This will help to provide an evidence based framework within which informed decisions can be made.
Thank you.
Notes to Editors:
A copy of the documents referred to in the Minister’s statement can be obtained on the DCALNI website 
.
Media enquiries to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Press Office. Telephone (028) 9025 8901 or email press.office@dcalni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 9971 5440 and your call will be returned.
