A planning application seeks permission to change the use of a vacant retail unit in Coleraine to a dedicated maternity and postnatal support centre.

The proposal, submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, targets 9 Queen Street, a single-storey former shop. No structural extension is planned, and the building's exterior would remain as is.

The applicant, Bloomin' Education CIC, intends the hub to offer consultation, education, and community-based activities. A design statement lodged with the application says the centre will promote connection, health, and wellbeing for new and expectant mothers.

The unit's frontage onto Queen Street would be kept active, and the reuse of an existing town-centre building is cited as supporting sustainable development. Its central location is expected to encourage walking and public transport use.

The application will now be considered by the council's planning committee at a forthcoming meeting.