River Bann, town centre, sports clubs, arts all part of Coleraine Future Town Fund application
The Coleraine Future Town Fund (CFTF) Board has announced that it has successfully made a pre-Christmas delivery of its investment plan, meeting the government’s deadline.
This was a major delivery milestone, submitting the CFTF Investment Plan to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by the November 28 deadline.
This achievement reflects months of hard work and collaboration, and the Board extended its sincere thanks to local residents, businesses, community and voluntary organisations, and the CFTF sub-group members for their invaluable input and support throughout the engagement process.
The Coleraine 10-Year Vision & Regeneration Plan sets out the Board’s agreed investment priorities, shaped by extensive feedback from the community.
The Plan focuses on activities that respond directly to local priorities and aligns with the UK Government’s Pride in Place objectives: Thriving Places, Stronger Communities, and Taking Back Control.
Emerging project and programme themes already identified include unlocking the potential of the River Bann as a destination for health, wellbeing, leisure, sport, and business; revitalising the town centre and attracting new businesses; enhancing arts, heritage, and cultural initiatives; integrating local needs and opportunities with the development of higher and further education and research; supporting sports development and investment in local clubs; and strengthening neighbourhoods and community capacity through improved infrastructure and initiatives to reduce deprivation.
While not all projects have been identified at this stage, the coming months will see the Board undertake detailed scoping exercises to shape and define the final list of projects for funding.
These will then undergo a robust sifting and scoring process to prioritise delivery within the first 1–4 year Investment Plan, scheduled to commence from April 2026.
Professor Gerry McKenna, Chair of the CFTF Board, said: “Meeting this milestone is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of our community. The priorities and emerging ideas in the Plan reflect what people told us matters most for Coleraine’s future.
"Thank you to everyone who contributed, we look forward to working together as we co-design these projects to turn this shared vision into reality.
"I would also like to note that the prize draw for the £50 Coleraine Shopping vouchers will take place in January, and we will be contacting the winners directly at that time – so good luck to everyone who entered.”