Belfast City Council is marking the completion of a £400,000 revamp of the 'The Stables' in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park with a 'Hogfest'.

A hog roasting on the spit, serving wenches, jazz band and a juggling chef will celebrate the re-opening of 'The Stables' restaurant and office accommodation as the park prepares to welcome thousands of summer visitors.

The makeover has been completed just in time for Rose Week, a major international event for the city which this year runs from Monday July 14. It also marks the end of a five year upgrade programme for council buildings, which has also seen a number of leisure centres improved or replaced.

The introduction of a bio-mass boiler and solar panels to provide energy and heat, means 'The Stables' is carbon neutral making it one of Belfast City Council's most environmentally friendly buildings.

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Chairman of the Parks and Leisure Committee, Councillor Bob Stoker, said: "We want people to enjoy themselves and to appreciate the work that has been done here to bring this old building up to scratch for today's world.

"Besides ultra modern facilities for the public on the ground floor it provides much needed office and storage accommodation for parks staff on the upper floor.

"Our conservation and education staff are based in this park which welcomes thousands of people every year with events like Rose Week or smaller based community events. Now they have accommodation that meets their needs.

"We also want to ensure our parks are as attractive as possible to encourage more visitors and providing facilities like this which are fully accessible adds to the comfort of park users. People enjoy having somewhere to get a cup of tea or coffee and it is something we are looking at in other parks."

"Protecting the environment and our heritage is also concerns the council so it was important to bring this old building up to standard while using the best of modern technology to cut its carbon footprint. Our success demonstrates how older buildings can be adapted to cope with the challenges of a modern world," Mr Stoker concluded.