Hillsborough Village Centre gets go ahead for expansion plan

Last year, due to overwhelming demand, the centre, which is based at the Ballynahinch Road in the village, applied for planning permission to expand. This week, Lisburn City Council gave the final go ahead for the scheme, which will include multi-purpose rooms, as well as an all weather playing surface on the existing playing field and additional car parking.

Centre Manager David Agnew said he was “delighted” that approval had been granted and will now begin the process of seeking funding for the project.

“We are absolutely delighted to have got through this hurdle and the next stage will be to assess the funding market to see what is available in terms of funding for the extension.”

Mr Agnew also thanked the local community for their support of the centre over the years and particularly of the news plans to make the centre even bigger and better than ever.

“Most of our rooms are operating at full capacity,” explained David. “We even have to accommodate some meetings in the changing rooms. Since we opened the demand has kept building and building.

“The success we have had is entirely down to the fact that people in Hillsborough got right behind it,” he continued. “I would like to thank everyone in the community and to Lisburn City Council for all their help and support.”

Mr Agnew also thanked the centre’s funders Awards For All, who helped to fund the feasibility study and the planning application, Lagan Rural Partnership who helped to fund the feasibility study through their rural development programme and Lisburn City Council who also helped to fund the project.

Chairman of Lisburn City Council’s Planning Committee, Alderman James Tinsley, welcome the granting of planning permission. “It is great to see a facility that is so well used that it needs to expand,” he said. “The extension will be welcomed by the people of the village and the users of the centre.”