Derry City Council is planning to give away for nothing land worth almost £250,000 so a local GAA club can expand.
Despite unionist opposition, the council Development Committee decided to press ahead and ask the Department of Environment for clearance to hand the eight acres in the Creggan over to the Sean Dolans GAA club to enable it to develop a second pitch.
The land was offered to the club some years ago when it had a book value of £10,000, but the club did not have the money to develop it.
Now the club has the pledge of funding of £225,000 from the Sports Council towards a £250,000 development scheme as long as it can get the land for nothing.
John Meehan, director of development at the council, said: "It is a piece of land which has lain dormant and for which the council does not have any use it is a pretty unkempt piece of land."
PA