New Ballycastle Leisure Centre on schedule for April 2027 completion

Alan McCullough, Project Manager at GRAHAM; Councillor Dawn Huggins, Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens; Jake Mailey, Capital Projects Officer at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; and Brian Tohill, General Manager (Sport & Wellbeing), during a visit to the new Ballycastle Leisure Centre.

Ballycastle’s new leisure centre remains on course for completion in April 2027, with the building’s internal fit-out now under way and its outdoor pump track nearing completion.

The major Quay Road development will bring a 25-metre swimming pool, gym, health suite and studio to the town, alongside an accessible play park, pump track and off-road walking and cycling trail.

Construction began in February 2025. After approximately 18 months on site, contractor GRAHAM has confirmed that work is progressing to schedule.

Internal fit-out moves forward

Work inside the building is now focused on mechanical and electrical installations, internal partitions and flooring.

Outside, construction of the inclusive play park is beginning, the new car park is progressing and the pump track is approaching completion.

The update was provided during a site visit by the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins.

Councillor Huggins said:

“It was a pleasure to visit the new Ballycastle Leisure Centre and see the excellent progress that has been made since construction began. It is exciting to see this significant investment taking shape, and to witness first-hand how the project is progressing.

“Once complete, the new leisure centre will provide modern, high-quality facilities that will benefit residents, community groups and visitors alike. It will play an important role in supporting healthier, more active lifestyles while creating a welcoming space for people of all ages to enjoy for years to come.”

Swimming pool, gym and health suite

Colourful artwork created by pupils from Cross and Passion College and Ballycastle High School, now displayed on the hoarding surrounding the new Ballycastle Leisure Centre.

The new Ballycastle Leisure Centre continues to take shape, with construction progressing across the site.

The single-storey leisure centre will contain:

• A four-lane, 25-metre swimming pool

• A gym and large exercise studio

• A health suite

• A splash area and modest spa facilities

• Changing accommodation

• A Changing Places facility

• Reception and office space

• A bouldering wall

• Food and drink vending facilities

The wider development will include an accessible play park, an asphalt pump track measuring more than 100 metres, and an off-road trail for walking and cycling.

The pump track is being designed for bicycles and scooters and will accommodate different ages and abilities. Secure fencing and gated access will surround both the track and play park.

Accessible play for children of all abilities

The play park will be positioned south of the main building, where the site’s existing topography will help provide universal access and a stronger connection with the leisure centre.

Its design includes equipment suitable for children with reduced mobility, along with tactile surfaces, landscaping and interactive panels intended to offer multi-sensory play.

The new Ballycastle Leisure Centre continues to take shape, with construction progressing across the site.

Two existing grass football pitches will be retained. A slightly reduced Gaelic games training pitch will also remain and is expected to continue operating as a grass events space.

Plans provide for 100 car parking spaces and four coach spaces, together with accessible bays and a drop-off point. The existing entrance will be upgraded with a new right-turn lane to improve access for motorists and pedestrians.

Designed to operate at net zero

The building is being delivered to an operational net-zero standard, meaning its annual operational energy use should produce no net carbon emissions.

Its environmental features will include solar panels and heat pumps, high-efficiency heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems, and enhanced insulation to reduce energy demand.

Alan McCullough, Project Manager at GRAHAM; Councillor Dawn Huggins, Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens; Jake Mailey, Capital Projects Officer at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; and Brian Tohill, General Manager (Sport & Wellbeing), during a visit to the new Ballycastle Leisure Centre.

The positioning of windows and shading systems is also intended to control heat from sunlight.

GRAHAM project manager Alan McCullough said:

“Welcoming the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins, to the Ballycastle Leisure Centre development was a great moment for us.

“After 18 months on site, the development is really taking shape, with the internal fit-out under way and continued progress on the playpark, car park and pump track outside.

“Beyond the facilities themselves, this building is being delivered to a net zero standard, with on-site renewable technology including solar panels and heat pumps, meaning Ballycastle will get a leisure centre that’s as sustainable to run as it is enjoyable to use.

“We have a strong track record of working closely with Councils and communities to deliver facilities that are genuinely needed and well used, and we’re proud to be bringing that experience to Ballycastle as we move the development into its next stage.”

Designed for its Ballycastle setting

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins, and Alan McCullough, Project Manager at GRAHAM, beside the artwork created by local pupils and displayed on the Ballycastle Leisure Centre hoarding.

The leisure centre has been designed to sit within the sensitive surroundings of the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Ballycastle Conservation Area and Tow River Valley.

All of its principal facilities will be on one ground-floor level, helping to preserve views from Quay Road towards the Tow Valley.

Its pitched roofs will reflect the forms of surrounding homes and rural buildings, while buff brick has been chosen as a contemporary reference to the sandstone found in prominent Ballycastle buildings, including Holy Trinity Church at The Diamond.

The project has also been planned alongside the proposed Ballycastle Shared Education Campus. That development is expected to provide a four-court sports hall, changing pavilion and three floodlit pitches for GAA, football and hockey.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will co-fund community access to the campus facilities outside school hours.

The new leisure centre is jointly funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and the UK Government through its Levelling Up programme. With construction still on schedule, Ballycastle is expected to take possession of a substantially expanded range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities in April 2027.