Call For Sports Minister To Give Answers Over Casement Park Redevelopment

The UUP is calling on the Sports Minister to answer questions following the Project Assessment Review of the redevelopment of Casement Park stadium.

Ulster Unionist Leader Mike Nesbitt MLA said a number of important questions have risen from the report issued.

He said: "In the notes to editors which accompanied the Minister's press release, we were informed that 'a team from KSS Design Group were on-site for part of the review and provided detailed technical support to the review team'.

"KSS do indeed have a proven track record of delivering top quality projects and were the architects who worked on the Amex Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion FC.


"I was however curious to note that their partners on the Brighton project were the Buckingham Group, who actually built the AMEX Stadium.

"This is important because the builders contracted to build the new Casement Park is Heron Buckingham Joint Venture (HBJV). Heron refers to a Draperstown based contractor, whilst Buckingham refers to the same firm which built the Amex Stadium in Brighton.

"It does seem rather curious that of all the architects firms in the United Kingdom who could have been asked to 'provide detailed support to the technical review team,' the one which was selected was the very one which had previous experience of working with the builders who had been chosen to work on the Casement project.

"Perhaps a declaration of interest was stated, but there is no reference in the Minister's press release or her notes to editors. In the interests of transparency it would be helpful to know the process which was followed in selecting KSS, and at what stage they informed the review team that they had prior experience of working with the firm which was waiting to build the new Casement Park."

(CD/JP)