Messages

So capacity is now down to 36,000? Is a stadium of this size needed?

I still have no idea what benefit the removal of the roof at the Andytown Road end is for local residents.

The whole point is it will host the Ulster final which has been getting around 30000 (35000 this year I think), the problem which I agree with most is how often the stadium will be at capacity (Im hoping the GAA have thought this through, international rules, concerts etc etc). I think the GAA in general need to have a better plan regarding stadium, ie a number of smaller grounds but of high quality. The plans for Pairc ui Chaoimh are an example of bad planning - Lets spend all the money on one massive stand and then give the rest of the dump a lick of paint. If the Casement design can be reduced to 30000 and that suits the residents then great although I do feel some (not all) the residents wouldnt be happy with any proposal.

Agree about the roof it would make more sense in terms of lighting issue to remove it from one of the sides although personally a modern stadium without a roof is ridiculous so maybe reduce height by reducing capacity but put the bloody roof back on

[As for the residents maybe the GAA should just move to a new site and sell the land to the council for a nice new abattoir or sewage works!!!!]

I agree if a club or individual has a problem with any aspect of the design then they dont sign the petition - simple really. Are the GAA and fans going to piss around enough over this just like the IFA to the extent that the funding is withdrawn you would almost think thats what some here want

As for the residents maybe the GAA should just move to a new site and sell the land to the council for a nice new abattoir or sewage works!!!!

Care to add anything to the debate?

The first post just confirms that people can sign a petition or not unless your 'GAA mafia' actually use physical force and threats to get what they want - do tell

The second post in its context was directed at people who buy houses next to a stadium and then dont expect any future development ever - little short sighted. If the work wasnt to go ahead in Casement then who knows what might happen, nice shiny stadium in Mid ulster - sounds good to me, Antrim GAA relocated - not out of the question and god knows what placed on the nice new brown field site at Casement.

Ps people saying the GAA just want to build what they want is a lie the design has already been altered with a loss of 4000 seats and a roof at one end but lets not let the truth get in the way of anything.

I agree if a club or individual has a problem with any aspect of the design then they dont sign the petition - simple really. Are the GAA and fans going to piss around enough over this just like the IFA to the extent that the funding is withdrawn you would almost think thats what some here want

http://antrim.gaa.ie/news/details/?id=3903

Closing down sale on at Casement. Get your offer in early for a bargain.

What club would buy the big concrete slabs for seating surely it would be cheaper and less hassle just to buy plastic bucket seats. The big question is what is happening with the brand spanking new control tower? Is it being shifted to another Ulster ground?

Thanks Drici for posting all my comments and your point is??

Again, it is very easy to have a "get over it" attitude when you live nowhere near it.

If it was built at the bottom of my garden, I'd be far from pleased.

As for buying a house beside Casement Park and not expecting development...my neighbour could take the notion to build a huge Christ the Redeemer statue out his back, it doesn't mean I have to accept it.

Unless you can honestly say that you would have no problem with a stadium like that being erected at the bottom of YOUR garden, you cannot criticise the residents for objecting to it being built at the bottom of their garden.

I get the impression that the local residents wont be pleased until all the plans are shelved.

You see, this is where you are wrong. The residents association isn't sitting there and knocking back everything the GAA are offering to do. They are putting forward proposals themselves which mainly comes down to lowering it at either side.

Nice try as stated earlier for the intended capacity the design is already very low. The playing field at Casement is sunken and that will be kept with the new ground also the Andy town road end will have an unusually large stand to again reduce the height of the rest of the stadium. Personally I cant see how they can lower the height of the sides even more unless they start slashing the capacity (they already have taken 2000 off to help accommodate concerns) which Im pretty sure the GAA will refuse

Now there must be literally dozens and dozens of grounds in England slap bang in the middle of dense residential areas that have had no problem being redeveloped over the years and Im sure they cast larger shadows over a greater number of residents than Casement ever will.

Check out the scale model for yourself regarding height

https://www.facebook.com/casementpark/photos_stream

compare it to say this

http://www.favhdwallpapers.com/anfield-stadium-hd-widescreen-wallpapers.html

or this

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/acidmit/22516805/89499/89499_original.jpg

Again, it is very easy to have a "get over it" attitude when you live nowhere near it.

If it was built at the bottom of my garden, I'd be far from pleased.

As for buying a house beside Casement Park and not expecting development...my neighbour could take the notion to build a huge Christ the Redeemer statue out his back, it doesn't mean I have to accept it.

Unless you can honestly say that you would have no problem with a stadium like that being erected at the bottom of YOUR garden, you cannot criticise the residents for objecting to it being built at the bottom of their garden.

Pretty sure your christ the redeemer project wouldnt get very far with local planning whereas the upgrade of an existing stadium with all sorts of potential benefits to the local area may funnily enough get the thumbs up. People have a right to complain for sure but as I have already stated the GAA have already been quite open with the design process and have made alterations to benefit the local residents, I get the impression that the local residents wont be pleased until all the plans are shelved. I have not heard any moaning from residents around Ravenhill or Windsor - maybe they are being a bit more realistic about things. As for buying a house if noise or light was an issue then I wouldnt buy a house next to a site that had potential to be developed and a more realistic example you should have given is if a neighbour wanted to extend their house and if it was reasonable design then I would pretty much have to suck it up too whether I liked it or not

Yeah, it's dead easy when it's at the bottom of someone else's garden.

Buy a house next to a stadium, airport, brown field site etc etc then you are a bit naive if you dont expect any sort of development at some point. If someone is still living there in a house built prior to Casement park then they have my fullest sympathy the rest took a risk when they bought their houses so tough luck I have a lot more sympathy for those who bought a house in the boom and then for whatever reason the council has slapped a compulsory purchase order on it at todays prices.
I think the GAA have been more than fair trying to accomodate the residents by taking off part of the roof and making the rest of the roof transparent but it looks like no matter what they do it will not be enough. I do agree with most here that the GAA should have avoided these problems in the first place by just developing a new site!

Seems an odd thing to do by the construction firms as surely no other client will go near them in the future as they will fear a legal challenge everytime the firms dont get selected!! As for the residents maybe the GAA should just move to a new site and sell the land to the council for a nice new abattoir or sewage works!!!!

Ye wha?

I mean that might give the residents something to actually moan about instead of constantly going on about the natural light being blocked by probably the lowest 40000 stadium on the planet any lower and the thing would be underground!

Seems an odd thing to do by the construction firms as surely no other client will go near them in the future as they will fear a legal challenge everytime the firms dont get selected!! As for the residents maybe the GAA should just move to a new site and sell the land to the council for a nice new abattoir or sewage works!!!!

What is it with the parking do people want to park their car at the front gate or something??? There are any number of places to park if you are prepared to walk a little with places like Boucher and Kings hall less than a mile away. Go to most of the top grounds in England and I guarantee you if you want to take your car to the ground then be prepared to walk a little. I think this could work and as for the residents I think they are being completely unrealistic looking at the plans I cant think of any other 40000 stadium that looks so low and yet they are worried by its height!

Very early plans had a bridge over the motorway and that would have helped ''neutralise'' the venue somewhat but as it stand I agree a large % of the population would feel uncomfortable going to Casement to watch a concert. That is probably my main concern over the site much of the other negative comments are rubbish you only have to look at the success of Croke park. A stadium squeezed into a tight site with few links in what was a run down part of town

The walk is exactly a mile so not bad I think the bigger problem is how regular the trains are. As for Balmoral station I lived nearby when I was younger the area is fine and pretty mixed, if anything in the last 20 years it has actually become quite nationalist so you would be unlucky to have any problems.

The redesign of Pairc ui Chaoimh has very few details as yet and evertime I read any plans they seem to change. Here are some early design pictures from a while pack but they dont really give anything away

http://www.archiseek.com/forum/download/file.php?id=10604

http://www.archiseek.com/forum/download/file.php?id=10603

The last I read the project will be completed by 2016. It will have a capacity of 45000 which will have 2 covered seated 2 tier stands. The ends will be left open and at the moment Im not sure if they will be seated or terraced. The project will cost 67 million euro which seems a lot considering the actual work being done (Celtic park only cost 40 million a few years ago and although not perfect is light years ahead of what is being planned here). It may be a missed opportunity. I think if you spend that much money you should have top class stadium

sorry fogrot to add Im pretty sure the pitch will remain where it is as the seating plan looks identical to the existing layout of Casement also the article I attched the other day from Belfastmediagroup states that retaill units including ticket office and merchandise shop will be located at the Andytown road end so no room to move the pitch in that direction as for the colour of the walls -  these days you just dont know lol.