Planning officers at Ards and North Down Council recommend approval for a new 3G football pitch in Portavogie. The proposal will go before the council's planning committee next month.

The project began in 2011 to replace the village's grass pitch with an all-weather surface and improved facilities. Previous permission lapsed in 2019. A new application faced objections from the Department for Infrastructure and NI Water.

Officials resolved those issues over several years. Peninsula alderman Robert Adair first raised the matter more than a decade ago.

Adair described the process as full of hurdles. He called delays linked to NI Water a waste of six years. He urged the council to act quickly after approval to avoid another lapse.

Adair said the current pitch nears the end of its lifespan. He noted that the council promised the upgrade to the community nearly 15 years ago.

Approval would aid local sports clubs on the Ards Peninsula, according to Adair. He said only a business case update and land acquisition remain.