Consultants set to start Newcastle centre plans

15 October 2025

SPECIALIST design consultants to spearhead the drive for Newcastle’s new £12m leisure centre will be formally appointed tomorrow night.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s powerful Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee will rubber-stamp the selection of the so-called integrated consultancy team at its monthly meeting.

The preferred option is to build the ultra-modern complex at the rear and to the side of the existing Newcastle Centre at Central Promenade, with the investment proposal also resulting in the demolition of the existing outdoor Tropicana children’s pool.

The new leisure centre will feature an indoor leisure pool, three 30-metre swimming lanes, dedicated heated play pool for children and an ultra-modern gymnasium.

News of the move to appoint consultants comes after confirmation that a list of potential sites examined for the resort’s new multi-million pound

leisure centre are to be provided to local politicians with explanations why they were rejected.

The local authority has already warned that moving away from the preferred location in the heart of the resort could set the project back by up to a decade.

Council officials insist the preferred option is to build the ultra-modern complex in the town centre despite concerns voiced by some councillors about the nature of the restricted site and lack of parking.

Some councillors representing the Mournes area had suggested examining the potential to locate the new centre on the outskirts of the resort which would have significantly greater parking capacity.

However, given that initial designs have been drawn up and consultants are to be appointed to drive the scheme forward, the local authority says the organisation could not recommend considering another site at this time “given the risk associated with it”.

Council officials recommended sticking with the current location, with public engagement planned once the consultancy team is appointed to examine various design options for the site.

Cllr Jill Truesdale recently proposed that a full list of all the sites examined as potential locations for the new centre should be made available and an explanation why they were rejected.

She said the appointment of design consultants “has been protracted to say the least” given extensive studies have been done before over the years.

Two sites were previously identified for the new multi-million pound

leisure centre in the resort, with sports pitches at Donard Park the preferred option.

However, councillors subsequently switched attention to the former St Mary’s Girls’ Primary School campus at Shanslieve Drive. Despite a number of attempts to secure the site and hopes that a deal could be agreed, it was bought by supermarket giant Lidl.

Council officials say they recognise that as one of Northern Ireland’s premier tourist resorts, Newcastle does not have a modern indoor leisure facility, with the £12m proposal set to address that.

A Newry, Mourne and Down Council spokeswoman said a report on the appointment of an integrated consultancy team to progress the delivery of the new leisure centre in Newcastle was included on the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting.

“Further information will be announced in due course,” she added.

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