St Patricks Regeneration Site

Ballymena Leisure Health & Wellbeing Centre

Introduction

The ambition for the new leisure, health and wellbeing facility is to provide a modern state of the art centre in Ballymena for all members of our community to come and enjoy.

Council have secured circa 4 acres of land at St Patricks for the new Leisure, Health and Wellbeing Centre development.

Within the grounds of the new three storey facility there will be car parking including EV charging points, bus parking, and a drop off area.

Pedestrian access to the building will be via a covered external walkway.

A sensory garden and Clocktower constructed with retained bricks from the demolition works of the Barracks will form a feature paying homage to the former use of the site and will be located within the grounds of the Leisure, Health and Wellbeing Centre.

An external exercise space will be provided, the need of which has become increasingly in demand since the pandemic, enabling users to enjoy fitness activities outdoors such as yoga and pilates when the weather permits.

Ground Floor

As you enter the building at ground floor level you are welcomed into a double height lobby space, greeted with the Reception and Café.

The Café will have space for up to 50 users, with access to seating on an external paved area with elevated views across to the Ecos Nature Park.

Toilet facilities, including disabled provision is located adjacent to the café space.

Throughout the new Leisure, Health and Wellbeing Centre there is a strong focus on the needs of families and children.

Within the new facility there will be a safe and fun Clip ‘n’ Climb space, which will provide an indoor adventure area with various obstacles and walls to climb for children with a range of abilities.

Plus, a Soft Play facility available for children of all ages, with a separate play space for parents and toddlers.

A seated area for parents or guardians to observe will also be provided.

This space will be bookable for private parties for example children’s birthdays, and a multi-purpose space will also be provided that can be set up for fun and games after the time concludes within the soft play area.

A double height four-court Sports Hall is provided, which accommodates:

• 5 aside
• Basketball
• Badminton
• Netball
• Pickle Ball
• Volleyball
• Indoor Hockey
• Table Tennis
• Martial Arts
• Childrens events - large parties, space for bouncy castle etc
• Other Events – conferences, trade shows etc

A separate dry change facility for male, female and users with accessibility requirements is located across from the Sports Hall.

First Floor

The main pool is located at first floor level with the accommodation including a 25 metre long, 8 lane pool, with starter blocks and timing system.

A viewing gallery is provided for up to 115 spectators.

The main pool has a moveable floor meaning that the depth can be altered to allow children to also use this facility.

This reduced pool depth will also enable the provision of an aqua challenge course during dedicated pool sessions.

Adjacent to the main pool is an area specifically designed for younger users.

A learner pool will provided to help children gain confidence in the water and learn to swim, this space also has a dedicated viewing area for parents.

Within the designated children’s zone there is a splash pool area introducing fun play elements to the pool experience for children.

It is planned that this space will also contain an aqua play area.

The swimming pool facilities will have unisex village changing, along with a changing places room and dedicated space for buggy storage for parents with young children.

A separate spa area is included with its own male, female, and accessible changing facilities.

The spa comprises of treatment rooms, along with a samarium, rock sauna, herbal steam, and ice room.

A vitality pool has been included which is orientated within the spa to provide views towards Slemish Mountain.

As part of the overall activity provision a spin studio has also been incorporated into the design and will accommodate 30 spin bikes.

A Community Hub is included which will provide a multi-purpose room designed with flexibility in mind.

It will act as a large open area for group activities, but the space can also be sub-divided it into smaller areas for more private needs for example low impact community care or counselling.

Access through the building is served by a central circulation core, with a large glazed rooflight bringing light down through the centre of the building.

Two lifts will also be provided.

Second floor

A 670 sq m state of the art fitness suite has been designed with separated zones for cardio, functional, strength and resistance.

The fitness suite will include a range of high-quality equipment from bikes, running machines, rowing machines, free weights area, and various exercise stations.

From this space users will benefit from views across the Ecos Nature Park and Slemish Mountain beyond.

Community Connections Project

The regeneration of the former St Patrick’s Barracks site presents a significant opportunity for the town of Ballymena and the wider Borough.

The proposed development seeks to improve “community connections” by creating a new civic space for leisure and recreational activities whilst also improving connectivity in the area.

This includes:

• A new 130m long foot and cycle bridge, spanning the Braid River, connecting the St Patrick’s site (and the town and adjacent communities) to the Ecos Parkland;
• A new 2,476m² outdoor event space.
• A new 2,208m² outdoor sensory garden and interpretative area, including a replica Clocktower from the original Barracks which will be constructed using the original reclaimed bricks.
• A new mobility hub including 12m2 Changing Places room and cycle parking.
• New public realm interventions, including natural stone paving, native planting, street and feature lighting, wall mounted seating and tiered flower beds.

The proposed development will bring major benefits to Ballymena by regenerating the former barracks site, transforming it into an attractive space for everyone to enjoy.

The proposed development contains a number of interventions aimed at providing shared space for community activity, including an events space, sensory garden and interpretative area.

It will also improve connections from town centre to the Ecos Centre, as well as nearby residential areas.

The high-quality public realm and proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge will provide safe movement across the site, helping promote active travel.

The mobility hub and changing places room will improve accessibility and further promote active travel. Importantly, the proposed development is in harmony with the natural aspects of the surrounding area and will improve local biodiversity through the proposed planting.

i4C Innovation and CleanTech Centre

The state-of-the-art i4C Centre will provide a physical base offering a range of accommodation types and programmes to support businesses and entrepreneurs with innovation and commercialisation.

This level of practical support will be vital in helping businesses launch ideas or improve their existing product and service offering.

The i4C Centre will focus on the development and adoption of clean technology (CleanTech) as part of the transition to net carbon zero and the creation of solutions in response to the challenges of climate change.

The i4C Centre will offer ‘Grade A’ standard office accommodation available to rent by corporate clients that want to establish an office footprint in the area close to clients or customers.

The labs and co-working space for rental at i4C will target the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing facilities to support their innovation and growth journeys.

The engine room of i4C will be a manufacturing makerspace and innovation laboratory called the iLab; the base for a team of technicians using specialist equipment to provide technical innovation support to SMEs.

Specialists will also provide bespoke skills training in key areas such as the emerging hydrogen economy and build on initiatives like the award-winning Hydrogen Training Academy that the Council have developed.