Row Erupts Over Naming Of East Belfast Leisure Centre

A storm of controversy has erupted over the controversial naming of an east Belfast leisure facility after former DUP MP and First Minister for Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson.

The Robinson Centre in Castlereagh is currently undergoing a phase of redevelopment that will cost £20million and see a state-of-the-art facility opened on the Montgomery Road site.

The facility was named after Mr Robinson in the 1980's, changing the name from Castlereagh Swimming Pool, while he was aged in his 30's and serving on the local council.

Political representatives from the SDLP and Sinn Fein have criticised the council's decision to retain the name for the refurbished centre, claiming that it breaches Belfast City Council's naming policy.

Sinn Fein Councillor for the Black Mountain area, Ciaran Beattie said in a statement: "Sinn Fein oppose the naming of the new council leisure facility on the land at Montgomery Road as 'The Robinson Centre' and requests that this facility be named in accordance with Belfast City Council policy."

An SDLP activist and former electoral candidate Seamas de Faoite set up an online petition against the decision to keep the name, stating that the council has: "Tied itself in linguistic knots to try to suggest that this is not a new aquatic centre, despite their own website stating it is, at least seven times."

The petition currently has over 200 signatures.

He added in a post on Twitter: "This is far from over. I don't accept Belfast City Council's line that this is just a replacement centre or a redevelopment, all their branding makes it clear, it's very much so new."

The council adopted a policy in 2008 which stated that leisure centres can only be named after individuals who have been dead for five years, have lived in the area of the facility, and if the family of the person approves of the move.

After seeking legal advice, the council announced last week that the centre would keep the Robinson name.

Alliance Councillor Michael Long has welcomed the calls from the SDLP and Sinn Fein to have the new East Belfast leisure centre renamed when it opens later this year, despite questioning the timing of such demands.

The Alliance Group leader on Belfast City Council said that while his party had always opposed the "various Peter Robinson vanity projects" in the old Castlereagh Council, he was surprised it had taken over four years for Sinn Féin to raise the naming issue, likening it to a pre-election stunt.

He said: "It was my colleagues who opposed the original proposal to change the name from Castlereagh Swimming Pool to the Robinson Centre in the 1980s. We also opposed other proposals such as the awarding of the Freedom of the Borough to Mr Robinson, which resulted in thousands of pounds of ratepayers money being spent on a celebratory dinner, and £4,000 spent on a bronze bust of the former Councillor.

"From our point of view, it was always going to be necessary for a renaming but I am puzzled by the timing of this motion from Sinn Féin given that the centre has been in the ownership of Belfast City Council for over four years and no decision is required in respect of the name until the autumn, when the centre is due to reopen."

Mr Long continued: "I would also suggest that both their track record and that of the SDLP on naming public spaces is hardly one to follow given the ongoing debacle over Raymond McCreesh park in Newry.

"I think the best way forward would be to use a local place name, but I also believe that most people are more concerned that they have been deprived of decent leisure facilities for almost five years, something which we sought to address through the provision of temporary facilities which Sinn Féin, SDLP and the Unionists all opposed."



(JG/CM)