Plans for a major new recreational hub at Camlough Lake are to be unveiled to the publicly shortly.
Details of the proposals – which will help boost the tourism offering in the south Armagh beauty spot – have been drawn up.
And a pre-application notice has been lodged with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
Such a move indicates that the planned development falls within the ‘major’ category of works.
The details will be unveiled at a public consultation event, the date of which has yet to be confirmed.
But it is expected to take place within the coming weeks, and neighbours will be notified and given the opportunity to respond.
The pre-application has been made by Belfast-based Resolve Planning.
Little is known at this stage what exactly is being proposed.
But what is known is that it is being mooted as a recreational hub, to be sited on “lands to the east of Camlough Lake”, on the Newtown Road.
The proposed centre would “provide facilities for both water and non-water based activities at Camlough Lake”.
It will take the form of a single-storey new-build centre, being billed as “multi-use”.
The plans also include “outdoor space with external showers, changing facilities, slipway, kayak storage, picnic areas, vehicular turning and bus and car parking areas”.
It is also intended to complete an upgrade of the existing vehice access off the Newtown Road for the provision of entrance and exit lanes and “associated visibility splays”.
A new pedestrian access, linked to the existing lake footway, is also being planned.
It comes almost a year since funding for a new first-class leisure and recreation centre – at a cost of £2.8 million – was announced.
This came as part of a £71 million ‘Levelling Up’ funding boost for Northern Ireland confirmed by the British Government.
Now the emergence of a pre-application notice has brought that closer to fruition.
Feedback from the public consultation will be taken on board and used to help shape firm proposals, before an application seeking full planning approval to proceed is subsequently lodged.
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