Council To Consider Bid For New Artificial Pitch At Parker Avenue

Councillors at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council are set to consider a proposal next week that could see a new artificial grass pitch installed at Parker Avenue in Portrush.

A report due before the Leisure and Development Committee on 18 March recommends that the council apply to the Irish Football Association (IFA) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund 2026–27. The funding programme aims to improve facilities for grassroots sport across Northern Ireland.

If approved, the council would submit an application to replace the existing natural grass pitch at Parker Avenue with a new accessible artificial surface.

The fund supports projects that strengthen grassroots sport by improving local facilities and encouraging greater participation in physical activity. Grassroots sport is defined as community-based, non-professional sport which promotes participation regardless of age, gender, ability or background.

A total capital fund of £2.7 million is available for the 2026–27 financial year, with individual projects able to receive between £100,000 and £500,000. Local authorities applying to the programme must provide at least 40% match funding, with the remaining funding coming from the scheme.

According to the report, the fund is competitive and only one application is permitted per council area, with the IFA indicating it expects to support just two local authority projects across Northern Ireland.

Council officers reviewed projects already included within the council’s capital programme to identify one that could be delivered within the fund’s requirements. The Parker Avenue proposal was selected because it is considered close to being “shovel-ready” and capable of being completed before the programme deadline of 31 March 2027.

The council previously applied to the same fund in 2023 for the Parker Avenue site, but that application was unsuccessful due to the programme being oversubscribed. Officers say the updated proposal can now be progressed using revised designs and financial information.

The Grassroots Facilities Investment Fund is designed to support projects that increase participation in sport, improve access to facilities for women and girls and under-represented groups, and develop multi-sport venues that benefit wider communities.

Applications to the programme opened in February and close at 12 noon on 18 March 2026, with funding decisions expected in May. Projects must then be completed by the end of March 2027.

Councillors will now decide whether to approve the submission of the Parker Avenue proposal, which officers say could help strengthen grassroots football infrastructure in the area while supporting wider community participation in sport.

As the funding deadline falls at 12 noon on Wednesday, 18 March, ahead of the evening committee meeting, it is understood that officers would submit the application in advance, with councillors later asked to approve or note the submission.