New £4m health hub confirmed by council

Proposals for a £4m new leisure and community health hub at the Gortgonis leisure complex in Coalisland have been confirmed by Mid Ulster District Council.

Considering a range of options for new indoor and outdoor facilities at the existing site, the Committee opted to construct a new building as a home for a gym and community hall, changing facilities, meeting rooms and to accommodate a local play group and a day centre.

Outside a 3G soccer pitch, a running track and a new play area suitable for younger and older children are to be provided, while the site will also contain a landscaped parkland and woodland pathways.

The pitch will meet current IFA guidelines for the Intermediate League and the new complex will also be completed to meet Disability Sport NI accreditation for accessible sports facilities.

Funding of up to £1m is being sought from the Department for Communities, given Coalisland’s designation as a Neighbourhood Renewal Area and the important part the new facilities will play in improving the health and well-being of local people.

Chair of the Council, Councillor Martin Kearney, welcomed the Council’s continued investment in leisure: “In its first four years, Mid Ulster District Council invested over £3m in leisure and outdoor recreation facilities across the region and our commitment to enhancing the health and well-being opportunities continues unabated, as confirmation of our plans for the Gortgonis site demonstrate”.

Chair of the Development Committee, Councillor Trevor Wilson, said: “This is a milestone in the development of the project and follows extensive consultation to ensure that these new, high quality facilities will meet local need and enhance opportunities for local people to participate in sport, recreation and physical activity.”

He added that the development was among several developments taking place in the next six months in the district.