Campaigners trying to stop a national football training centre being built near Ballymena are worried about the impact of floodlights and more traffic in a rural area.

They have also raised concerns that noise from the pitches would scare horses.

The state-of-the-art facility due to be built by the Irish Football Association (IFA) by 2028.

Supporters of the project say its location on fields near a five-star hotel is ideal.

The IFA said it would continue to "engage constructively and mitigate concerns where possible, as the planning process progresses".

Plans for the 50-acre National Football Centre on fields between Galgorm and Cullybackey were announced last year.

Unlike most other football nations in Europe, Northern Ireland does not have a dedicated training facility.

The proposed development – including three small stands, six pitches, three stands and changing facilities - is now going through the planning process at Mid and East Antrim Council.

Galgorm Parks Riding School is near the planned new training centre.

Lady Juliet Frazer, chair of the Mid-Antrim Riding for the Disabled Association, says sudden bursts of noise from the football matches could be dangerous.

"Horses are fight or flight animals," she said.

"If you make a loud noise in the vicinity of the horse, its first instinct is to run away. If you've got a beginner rider or a disabled rider trying to ride it, the outcome is not going to be good.

"Even the best trained and best-behaved ponies will take fright under those circumstances.

"We're not in any way anti-football, I completely accept that there's a need for a training centre in Northern Ireland, but I do think it needs to be in an urban area."

A campaign group opposing the project, entitled 'Right Facility Wrong Location', recently held a public meeting to voice its objections. It is also considering legal action.

Sarah Herbison, from the group, said: "The actual scale and size of this development is humongous - six pitches, three floodlit pitches, a huge building for the media, catering facilities, for staff.

"That's not to mention the adverse effects it's going to have on heritage, on ecology, and the whole character of the Galgorm and Cullybackey area."

Herbison, who does not live full-time in the area, has a home beside where the development is due to be built.

For the IFA, a bespoke training centre is long overdue.

Jonny Hume, whose son Trai plays for the Northern Ireland men's international team, believes the chosen site would work well.

"It's beside the Galgorm hotel, with two train stations very close to it. I just think it suits everybody," he said.

"You don't get the heavy traffic you would get up around Belfast."

Hume said Northern Ireland is "way behind" many other nations in terms of football facilities and needs somewhere to call "home".

The North Antrim MP, Jim Allister, also supports the planned new centre.

He said: "It's not just important locally, it's important provincially to the whole of Northern Ireland.

"I think it does dovetail quite appropriately with the existing Galgorm Resort (hotel and spa).

"Of course, any development always provokes a level of opposition and any objector is always entitled to have their concerns legitimately taken into consideration."

His view is that the facility would be good for sport and also for the economy.

NI Water has been consulted about the project and, at this stage, has recommended refusal of the planning application.

A spokesperson said this was due to "both water and wastewater capacity issues in the vicinity of the proposed development".

But they added: "NI Water has advised the applicant via the planning process that there are potential solutions to the current constraints and has recommended that they contact NI Water directly. "

The IFA said it will be engaging with NI Water to resolve any issues.

It is not clear how much money would be needed to construct the football centre but it could be around £8m.

The IFA is aware of the campaign to try to block the building of the facility near Ballymena.

A spokesperson said: "This project represents a unique opportunity to deliver a world-class facility and a once-in-a-generation investment in football, communities and sporting infrastructure.

"We will continue to listen, engage constructively and mitigate concerns where possible, as the planning process progresses."

That includes those worried about the impact on horse-riding.

It is not clear when Mid and East Antrim Council will make a final decision on the planning application.

A spokesperson said: "The application remains subject to the assessment and consultation processes required under planning legislation, and it is therefore not possible to provide a timescale for a decision at this stage."

On the council's planning portal, there have been more than 150 comments so far about the proposed development.

The majority have been in favour of the project.