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BBC News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Maze Prison peace centre architect urges Stormont to end stalemate
The architect behind a proposed peace centre at the former Maze Prison site has urged Stormont leaders to end their 12-year deadlock over the jail closed in 2000 and while most of the prison buildings near Lisburn have been demolished, some were listed and £300m regeneration plans for the site have been in limbo since Libeskind told the BBC's The View that claims a peace centre at the former prison site would be a shrine to terrorists were "absurd". "How absurd those statements were, because this was absolutely the opposite of it," he Polish-American architect oversaw the building of the 9/11 Ground Zero memorial in New York and the Jewish Museum in Berlin and says he remains committed to delivering the project in Northern Ireland. The development site stretches to almost 350 acres - one of Northern Ireland's largest in public high-security jail held paramilitary prisoners during the conflict in Northern Ireland known as the was the site of republican hunger strikes in 1981 during which 10 inmates starved themselves to death. Plans for a centre for peace and conflict resolution were blocked in August 2013 by then first minister Peter Robinson from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).It followed pressure from unionists who claimed the site would become a "shrine to terrorism".Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, then deputy first minister, later said that no further development would take place until the dispute was then, most requests to visit the prison buildings have been refused by The Executive Office - the joint department of the first and deputy first ministers. Mr Libeskind told The View: "We cannot continue living with the violence and the ghosts of the past. We have to move forward."I'm surprised personally that Belfast cannot come together, that the conflict is still there in the political levels, which should certainly see that the world is changing around us."And should see that something positive should be done on that site." Stormont stalemate The Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation (MLKDC) was set up to regenerate the site, which it believes could attract £800m of investment and up to 14,000 its work has been restricted due to the continuing political chief executive last month said its role has been "essentially limited to health and safety". Terence Brannigan, who chaired the MLKDC board for more than a decade, said they had tried to take decisions about the former prison "out of politics".He said they had proposed to The Executive Office a set of protocols to manage the prison buildings and peace centre."We were prepared to take that responsibility but unfortunately we weren't given that opportunity," he Brannigan said the site has "massive potential in terms of jobs, in terms of economy, and in terms of bringing prosperity to Northern Ireland".He said it was "shameful for us as a collective, for us, this community" that the site "has not delivered what it is capable of delivering for our people here". The annual agricultural event the Balmoral Show is held at the site and the air ambulance and Ulster Aviation Society (UAS) are also based manager Ray Burrows said it has "absolutely fantastic potential"."I see the potential that has come with us being here and I see no reason why anybody who comes here cannot realise the same potential," he said."If there was a collection of things to come and see, there'd be tens of thousands of people visiting this site annually."You can watch The View on BBC One Northern Ireland and iPlayer on Thursday at 22:40 BST.
BBC News
13-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Maze Prison regeneration 'limited to health and safety'
A Stormont body set up to oversee a £300m redevelopment of the former Maze prison site has said its role has been "essentially limited to health and safety".Plans to regenerate the site near Lisburn have been in limbo for almost 12 years due to a political high-security jail held paramilitary prisoners during the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles and was the site of republican hunger strikes in 1981 during which 10 inmates starved themselves to closed in 2000 and while most of the prison buildings have been demolished, some were retained. The 350-acre former prison is one of Northern Ireland's largest development sites in public Gregory, interim chief executive of the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation (MLKDC), said a "political resolution" was needed."What the answer to that is, I don't know, but it is clearly in my mind a legacy issue that needs to be picked up and addressed," he said. In 2013, Stormont's then First Minister Peter Robinson, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), blocked a plan to build a peace centre on the followed pressure from unionists who claimed the site would become a "shrine to terrorism".Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, then deputy first minister, later said that no further development would take place until the dispute was then, the stalemate has led to many requests to visit the prison buildings being refused by the Northern Ireland some parts of the site have been used, such as hosting the Balmoral Show - an annual agricultural Air Ambulance and Ulster Aviation Society are also based there. 'Limited remit' Mr Gregory was speaking to the economy committee on Wednesday as members visited the said the MLKDC has had a "limited remit since 2013" which is "defined by our sponsor department, the Executive Office".This has been "essentially limited to health and safety matters, site security, essential maintenance" and supporting those currently using the Gregory said that "in addition to that formal remit, we have added in our business plan an aim to identify and explore options for consideration by ministers".Last year, it emerged the body in charge of Northern Ireland museums had been in talks about the future of the derelict McIvor, MLKDC's director of development, said they were "very preliminary discussions". Alliance Party assembly member David Honeyford said the Maze site was a "microcosm of Northern Ireland"."The potential is here, but we're not realising it," he urged the first and deputy first ministers to "move this forward and allow the potential to be actually realised". DUP assembly member Phillip Brett, chair of the economy committee, said the "economic opportunities here are huge"."But we're also equally clear that we will never support the creation of a shrine to terrorism here," he Féin assembly member Emma Sheerin said there was a "shared objective across all parties" to realise the economic opportunities of the said "there are different perspectives on the past" and "everybody's perspective should be respected".
