Plans Lodged For Major Revamp Of Ulster University Coleraine Campus Entrance

Plans have been submitted to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for a major upgrade of the main entrance to Ulster University’s Coleraine campus.

The proposals, part of a wider campus revitalisation project, include the demolition of the 10-storey university office tower, the extension of the entrance lobby, and significant public realm improvements designed to modernise the arrival experience for students, staff and visitors.

According to the planning documents, the redevelopment will feature new pathways, seating areas, bike stands, soft and hard landscaping, a water feature, and an accessible lift linking car parking areas to the main entrance. The internal road layout will also be reconfigured, with upgraded parking facilities and improved accessibility.

The university said the existing entrance — dominated by a broad flight of steps and overshadowed by the ageing tower block — presents both a “visual and physical barrier”. The structure, which has “significantly exceeded its design life”, is described in supporting documents as unsuitable for modern teaching and administrative needs.

In its place, the university plans a new landscaped plaza and an open, welcoming forecourt. The redesigned approach will include curved terraces with planting and seating, a serpentine ramp for step-free access, and an amphitheatre space for outdoor learning and events.

A key architectural feature will be a Corten steel entrance portal – described as creating a “distinctive front door” to the campus – alongside a glazed entrance lobby designed to bring light and warmth to the formerly dark undercroft space.

The plans also include sustainable drainage measures to reduce stormwater discharge by almost half, and new wildflower and grass planting to boost biodiversity on the site.

The 0.98-hectare development area lies to the north-east of the campus’s main entrance on Cromore Road, within lands identified in the Northern Area Plan as part of Coleraine’s major open space framework.

If approved, the project would mark one of the most significant physical upgrades to the Coleraine campus in decades, aligning with Ulster University’s wider strategy to create “a modern, inclusive and environmentally responsible campus environment”.

The application is currently under consideration by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.