Revamp for Harpur’s Hill Centre

Around £400,000 will be spent on the building which is currently in a poor state of repair.

At last Tuesday night’s’ meeting of Coleraine Borough Council, Richard Baker, Corporate Director of Leisure and Development told the meeting that the refurbishment would create greater usage of the building and increase viability of the centre. He added that Harpur’s Hill was identified as an ‘area of risk’ within the DSD. £100,000 of funding will come from the department, with a further £300,000 from Council and other bodies.

DUP Alderman Maurice Bradley welcomed the recommendation and pointed out that the centre was last refurbished back in 1992.

The Mayor, UUP councillor David Harding also welcomed the recommendation describing it as ‘money well spent’.

Meanwhile, Coleraine Borough Council is to spend £32,500 on a new crane for Coleraine Marina.

Members were told that the marina has been without a crane since last year. Richard Baker, Council’s Corporate Director of Leisure and Development told the meeting that the money spent on the replacement crane would be paid back in four years.

Raising concern about the cost, Alliance councillor Barney Fitzpatrick suggested that the crane at Coleraine harbour could be used. However, councillor William McCandless, Chairman of the Leisure and Development committee, told members that without the crane the marina would ‘go into the red’. He reminded members that the harbour was a private enterprise. On being put to a vote it was agreed that a replacement crane should be purchased.