Plan aims to attract £50m in investment to Larne with four flagship projects
Plans to support Larne’s long-term prosperity through a series of flagship projects have been formally unveiled at Stormont.
The launch of Larne Community Wealth Building (CWB) Partnership’s plan for the area follows a funding commitment of £150,000 from the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy, announced in October.
Funding was also awarded to the North West CWB Partnership, led by Enterprise North West, to support inclusive and sustainable economic growth across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.
Steered by LEDCOM and supported by key local partners, including Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Access Employment Ltd (AEL), Larne Business Forum, Northern Regional College, Choice Housing, the Port of Larne, and Larne Football Club, the Larne CWB Partnership aims to unlock over £50m worth of related investment in the area, along with the creation of approximately 2000 jobs.
The cross-departmental funding will allow the local partnership to develop business cases for four flagship projects.
The first such project calls for infrastructure improvements at Larne Port, from upgrades that will allow bigger ships to berth to facilitating the development of a green corridor route between Larne and the UK Mainland.
Also being explored are additional infrastructure improvements to support renewable industries using the port as a forward operating base, as well as the installation of solar power generation.
The enhancements are designed to support the smooth operation of Larne Port’s designation as a Point of Entry for various goods and live animals entering Northern Ireland.
The second proposed project is new pharmaceutical facility, ‘Willowbank 2’.
Envisaged as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and workforce development in life and health sciences, logistics, and renewable energy, the proposed facility aims to attract further investment, research and development, as well as the creation of industry clusters.
It also intends to leverage Larne’s existing life and health sciences cluster – which currently includes three three major companies operating in global markets – while engaging economically inactive and disadvantaged groups in skills pipelines and apprenticeships.
Central to the project will be working with NRC to develop skills that support jobs in high growth areas including life and health sciences, logistics and renewables.
Another key component of the CWB plan is town centre regeneration, comprised of three sub-projects with short, medium, and longer-term timescales.
Proposed by Larne Business Forum (LBF), the first of these is a Business Empowerment Zone, focusing on revitalising Larne’s town centre.
The implementation of the Zone would include financial relief for local businesses through a ‘Cost of Doing Business Grant’.
This would see all retail, hospitality and leisure business within the designated geographical zones eligible for a three year grant, with the grant value calculated based on the business location and size.
The second sub-project, meanwhile, would see the repurposing of Dunnes Stores, formerly Larne town centre’s largest commercial building.
Vacant since September 2019, the building has significantly impacted Larne’s commercial vitality, with multiple calls for it to be brought back into use.
With the building’s size making it impractical for a single tenant, and minimal interest in leasing it in its current state, LBF has proposed reconfiguring the space into multiple street-facing commercial units – presenting an opportunity for start-ups and small businesses to establish a presence.
The plan would also dedicate a portion of the Main Street building to a health and wellbeing centre, attracting a broader range of users to the area and supporting ancillary retail and healthcare services from pharmacies and opticians to podiatrists and physiotherapists.
The third sub-proposal, meanwhile, will examine the potential uses for the strategically important Riverdale Site. Ideas here include a feasibility study to examine the development of a new, modern and ‘fit for purpose’ leisure entre.
A newly-relocated centre would benefit from existing public transport links, increased accessibility for socially disadvantaged groups, incorporation of renewable energy sources, and the potential to collaborate with partners such as Larne Football Club for joint events.
It is also envisaged that a new leisure facility will have a positive impact on surrounding retail areas currently experiencing high vacancy and dereliction rates. The plan notes that engagement with businesses in the area is key to developing a plan that works in terms of driving footfall back towards the town centre.
Early stage discussions have taken place about the possibility of a fourth flagship project - a Place Shaping Plan for the Antiville Estate.
However, David Hunter, Programme Director with Larne CWB Partnership emphasised that any such project would be community led and co-designed by local stakeholders.
In addition to the flagship projects, the CWB Partnership plan also includes an upgrade to facilities at Inver Park Stadium.
A proposed new main stand aims to offer a better match day experience, as well as improving the environmental footprint by installing solar panels at the new stadium.
It is hoped that this will be facilitated through a recently submitted application to the Northern Ireland Football Fund (NIFF), with planning permission already in place for the developments.
Elsewhere in the town, there is a proposal to conduct a Community Asset Transfer from Northern Regional College to AEL.
With AEL currently operating out of the NRC building previously known as the Adult Education Centre, the plan aims to enable the social enterprise group greater freedom to adapt the building to their needs and to redevelop the site as a community campus.
A key component of Community Wealth Building is to empower local people to benefit from locally-owned resources. “Larne has long been suffering from large scale underinvestment, but East Antrim has the two largest power stations in Northern Ireland,” David said. “We also have the port, and the upgrades to the A8; we need to make our assets work better for us.
"The town centre in particular has suffered from a significant decline over the last 10 years - the next 10 years needs to be about attracting investment and creating the conditions for our local economy to grow.”