Belfast City Council nationalists approved a strategy for new Gaelic Athletic Association pitches three weeks ago through a surprise vote. The plan requires building pitches at Boucher Road, ending major concerts at the site, and at Lower Botanic Gardens, removing a community garden and EU-funded green regeneration project.

Alliance Party members sought to halt the strategy at both locations over recent months but failed. Councillor Tara Brooks stated on Monday night that she regrets the council agreed to the strategy before politicians reviewed its details. She called the process a failure of transparent decision-making for ratepayers.

A public petition to preserve Lower Botanic Gardens gathered more than 600 signatures within days. At Monday's council meeting, Alliance shifted from seeking a pause on the Lower Botanic Gardens pitch to requesting additional information on the project.

Nationalist councillors opposed any delay and maintained that a pitch could share the site with the community garden and green project. Alliance countered that available evidence shows the developments cannot coexist, requiring a choice between them.

Brooks added after the meeting that councillors and residents need complete information prior to decisions. She noted a lack of evidence supporting relocation of the gardens or risk-free sharing of the site.