Coleraine Future Town Fund Submits 10-Year Investment Plan

The Coleraine Future Town Fund (CFTF) Board is delighted to announce that it has successfully met a major delivery milestone by submitting the CFTF Investment Plan to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by the 28th November deadline.

This achievement reflects months of hard work and collaboration, and the Board wishes to extend its sincere thanks to local residents, businesses, community & 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. It also includes a number of high-level emerging projects and programme ideas, closely aligned with the feedback received during engagement.

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 as drivers of social, cultural and economic regeneration; 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.”

Next steps:

The Board will continue to engage and work in partnership with Government and local stakeholders as the submission is reviewed and projects are further developed. Once approved, the Investment Plan will be published, and detailed planning will begin to deliver projects that will transform Coleraine into a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive town for generations to come.