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Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s planning department recently received the planning application for the upgrade of the public realm entrance, including demolition of the existing university office block and flue relocation, extension to entrance lobby, internal road reconfiguration and car parking. Planned public realm works include soft and hard landscaping, planting, pathways, accessible lift, water feature, bike stands, seating areas and all other associate site works. An accompanying Design and Access Statement said the proposal makes up part of an “extant campus masterplan strategy”, which includes a main entrance lobby extension, to link to a feature entrance portal and provide a “clear and distinctive ‘front door’ to the campus”, a glass-enclosed external lift and a redeveloped podium, with “organic shapes reflecting the surrounding natural landscape setting of the campus”. “The existing roundabout drop off zone [will be] replaced with an open plaza space that can be used for freshers’ and careers fairs, orientation of graduates and temporary stages,” the statement added. “Existing podium steps [will be] replaced with curved planted terraces with seating areas for students to use overlooking the new plaza space [as well as] an amphitheatre for outdoor learning located at the location with the most sunlight [and] planting within the site with grass and wild-flower mixes, to provide a balance between biodiversity and amenity.” The revitalisation project focuses on “modernising the campus environment and enhancing student and staff experiences”, while providing Coleraine campus with “an enhanced arrival experience”, the statement noted. “The proposed development accords with the university’s core policies which include improving health and well-being, creating and enhancing shared space and supporting good design and positive place-making. “The tower block has significantly exceeded its design life and is in need of extensive refurbishment both internally and externally including structural repairs, building services replacement and thermal upgrades to reduce energy use. “Feasibility studies have shown that the internal space dimensionally is unfit for modern university space uses, pedagogies and connectivity requirements [and] this planning application seeks to resolve these fundamental access and redundant building challenges.”
