Extensive Repairs Proposed For Portstewart Town Hall

Extensive repair works are proposed for Portstewart Town Hall after detailed investigations identified structural deterioration at the Grade B2 listed building.

The proposals include dismantling and rebuilding external brick walls, reconstructing sections of internal walls, repairing or replacing structural elements and carrying out repairs to the cupola.

A supporting statement prepared by Gravis Planning on behalf of Dunrus Limited says surveys found severely corroded steel columns, failing wall ties, damaged lintels and water ingress. It argues that localised repairs would not resolve the underlying problems.

The building’s outer brickwork, installed during a 1973 refurbishment, would be carefully dismantled and rebuilt. Internal wall reconstruction would be limited to the north-west and north-east elevations where required.

The principal roof structure, main hall and surviving decorative stonework would be retained. The proposals also include reinstating architectural features such as the balcony and flagpoles.

Permission was granted in December 2025 to convert the building into an events facility with associated self-catering hostel accommodation and a rear extension. The latest applications seek approval for additional repairs without changing that approved use.

The town hall was built in 1934 and formally opened in 1935.