Plans submitted for private urgent care health centre at former Coleraine Salvation Army hall

A former Salvation Army hall in Coleraine could be set for a transformation with plans lodged for a proposed urgent care health centre

Plans have been submitted to transform a former Salvation Army hall in Coleraine into a private urgent healthcare centre offering walk-in medical appointments as an alternative to NHS services.

The application, lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seeks permission to convert the former Salvation Army building at 152 Ballycastle Road into an urgent medical day centre operating initially from Friday to Sunday, between 8am and 8pm.

If approved, the facility would provide paid walk-in consultations, with planning documents stating it is intended to offer people “a faster and locally accessible initial consultation” ahead of—or instead of—attending GP surgeries or hospital Accident and Emergency departments.

Private healthcare proposal

The former Salvation Army hall has stood vacant since the organisation closed the premises in 2020.

Rather than redeveloping the site, the application proposes retaining the existing building, with only internal alterations and the relocation of an oil tank required to meet current safety standards.

Proposed floor plans for new urgent care health centre in Coleraine

Planning documents describe the proposal as a change of use from a former place of worship to a healthcare facility within the Planning (Use Classes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.

Designed as an alternative to NHS services

Supporting documents accompanying the application make clear the centre is intended to provide private healthcare rather than replace NHS provision.

The planning statement says the facility would “support and promote the health and well-being of community members via a faster and locally accessible initial consultation ahead of or in place of the local Accident and Emergency Department.”

It also argues the proposal aligns with regional planning policy by making use of an existing community building while providing additional healthcare infrastructure.

The private healthcare proposal is being advanced by Emerald Urgent Care

The application notes the building previously served the community as a place of worship and would continue serving local people in a different capacity as a medical facility.

Parking and traffic addressed

Planning documents state the site already has parking for 14 vehicles, which the applicant believes is more than sufficient.

The business anticipates employing two to three staff at any one time and expects an average of around four visitors per hour, creating a maximum parking demand of approximately seven spaces.

Access would continue to use the existing entrance shared with neighbouring businesses, including a bakery and convenience store.

The planning statement concludes that visitors are unlikely to generate significant additional traffic or noise and says occasional deliveries by light goods vehicles could be accommodated safely within the site without vehicles needing to reverse onto the shared access.

Decision still to be made

The application is currently awaiting assessment by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Planning officers will consider the proposal, along with any representations received during the consultation process, before making a recommendation or referring the application for a planning decision.

For now, the submission marks the first step in a proposal that could see a long-vacant community building brought back into use as a private urgent care facility serving the Coleraine area.