Causeway Coast and Glens Council plans to engage with the Executive Office on extending the Urban Villages Programme to Coleraine Central and Cross Glebe. The Harry Gregg Foundation requested council support for this extension to secure capital approval for a proposed £5m sports and community facility at the council-owned Crescent site in Coleraine.

The areas qualify due to ongoing socio-economic deprivation and social challenges. The facility will include indoor and outdoor sports areas, a children's soft play zone, a boxing club, and a hospitality education centre in partnership with Northern Regional College.

Council members received details during the March Leisure and Development Committee meeting. The project requires an Urban Villages designation for funding, followed by a land transfer from the council to the foundation.

Planning permission is targeted for February 2027, with construction to begin in March 2027 and the facility opening by mid-2028. The development aims to support health, youth programmes, skills training, and community ties.

UUP Councillor Richard Holmes proposed that the council endorse the foundation's request. He stated the facility could serve as a significant resource for Coleraine. DUP Alderman Aaron Callan seconded the proposal and expressed hope that it becomes a valuable initiative.