Mayor of Coleraine, Cllr George Duddy has raised concerns about the potential impact on Coleraine Town Centre if Leisure Facilities are moved to Rugby Avenue.
The plan forms phase two of the development and costs £12m less than first thought, coming in at £18.5m instead of £30.5m, but, when considering the footfall Coleraine could lose out on because of the move, Cllr Duddy questioned the idea.
Other Councillors are said to be keen to see a complete overhaul of the current Coleraine Leisure Centre, or to have it re-built from scratch but Project manager Jonathan Gray said that it simply wouldn’t be possible to build as far back in to the car park because of the Lodge Burn. He ruled out a split site arrangement as it would increase costs significantly, and said sticking with the current building wasn’t a valid option either. Mr Gray explained that to stick with the current site, you’d need to spend £5-6m but it wouldn’t be prudent.