Northern Ireland Planning Service

Northern Area Plan 2016
Coleraine Borough: Coleraine Town Centre (Page 2 of 2)

Zoning CET 06 The Harbour Estate Development Opportunity (7.36 ha.)
Key Site Requirements
  1. The development of the site will only be considered within the context of an acceptable overall design concept. An acceptable Transport Assessment will be required.
  2. This site is particularly suited to a mixed use redevelopment including retail, office, entertainment, catering and residential.
  3. Any development shall not generally exceed the equivalent of a normal four storey building.
  4. Public access along the entire river frontage shall be accommodated, including a footpath/cycle-path of not less than 5 metres width along the entire river frontage. The development will incorporate an appropriate frontage to the river. Linkages to the town centre shall be provided.
  5. The design and materials of the frontages of any development, both towards the river Bann and towards Anderson Park, shall be of a high standard.

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It is recognised that this area may continue to function effectively as a working port with related industrial operations. There may also however be the opportunity for the partial or total redevelopment of this key site, with more than 600 metres of prime riverside frontage.
Zoning CET 07 Castle Lane (Waterside Car Park) Development Opportunity (0.58 ha)
Key Site Requirements
  1. The development of the site will only be considered within the context of an appropriate overall design concept.
  2. An acceptable Transport Assessment will be required.
  3. The development of the site shall incorporate the provision of the current number of parking spaces, together with an additional level of provision to be agreed with the Department.
  4. This site is particularly suited to a mixed use redevelopment including retail, office, entertainment, catering and residential.
  5. Any development shall not exceed the equivalent of a normal three storey building, in keeping with the character of development in Waterside.
  6. Any development shall relate in terms of height, design and proportions in a manner that complements the neighbouring listed buildings of Waterside and integrates development into the urban form.
  7. The design and materials of the frontages of any development towards the River Bann, the grounds of County Hall and Waterside shall be of a high standard.
  8. Public access along the entire river frontage shall be accommodated, including a footpath/cycle-path of not less than 5 metres width along the entire river frontage.
In addition to the major development opportunities the Plan designates a number of target sites, smaller individual properties where major refurbishment or redevelopment will be acceptable provided the scale, height, design and finishes of any proposal will make a positive contribution to the townscape.
Designation CET 08 Area of Townscape Character Coleraine Town Centre
An Area of Townscape Character is designated as identified on Map No. 3/01b –Coleraine Town Centre.
Key features of the area will be taken into account when assessing development proposals are as follows:
  1. The mixture of two and three storey buildings with generally uniform consistent eaves height within each section of terrace;
  2. The overwhelming prevalence of smooth and painted rendered buildings with plain facades with and without embellishment and only the occasional building in red brick;
  3. The almost exclusively three storey buildings along the east-west spine with a preponderance of two storey buildings in the side streets;
  4. The quality of the two and a half storey buildings which have retained their original form and which include interesting architectural features;
  5. The strong vertical emphasis to the fenestration on the upper floor elevations and the pitched, mainly slated, including some natural slated roofs with relatively little variation in the eaves line/ridge height of the buildings in their quite separate two and three storey settings;
  6. The largely uniform angle of roof pitch, ridge height and alignment and eaves detail in each terrace;
  7. The rhythm of the chimney stacks and ornamental pots;
  8. The vertical emphasis provided by the upper floor window openings with the openings characteristically trimmed with moulded plasterwork;
  9. The plaster string courses, raised plaster quoins and ornate eaves detailing on the upper floor elevations;
  10. The traditional sliding sash window proportions with head and sill levels lining out and constituting a clear rhythm along the street frontage;
  11. The presence albeit in lesser number of what was the typical two pane double-hung timber sliding sash windows with mid height transoms, occasionally with a single vertical mullion in each of the glazing bars;
  12. The deep [two courses] window sills with a traditional profile, especially in respect of the leading edge;
  13. The predominance of round-section cast iron or aluminium downpipes and gutters;
  14. When used, the traditional roof lights or ‘Conservation-type’ roof lights, especially to the front elevation;
  15. The surviving traditional shop fronts with fascia signage respecting and reflecting the Georgian or Victorian character of the parent building and its setting within its Main Street setting;
  16. The prevalence of non-amalgamated shop fronts reflecting the width of the original unit building, framed by masonry piers or heavy timber mullions and avoiding large expanses of glass and long unbroken fascias;
  17. The prevalence of traditionally-scaled shop advertising fascias with clearly identifiable upper edges [cornice-type], framed by pilaster columns to support the fascia, proportionate to the width of the shop front and not occupying the total space between the top of the display window and the underside of the first floor windowsills;
  18. The prevalence of stall-riser detailing of not less than 300mm high below the shop window and the display window and door frames set back from the face of the building to create a reveal;
  19. The presence of painted timber in shopfronts which relates closely to the largely Victorian period of the parent building with either render and painted wall surrounds or other material such as polished marble or granite, or reconstituted stone, and
  20. The significant and continuing use of traditional signage restricted to the defined fascia area above the shop front on business premises and including sign writing and the use of individually mounted lettering.
The present urban form of Coleraine Town Centre dates from the early decades of the 19th Century when many of the dwellings, which survived the Plantation period were replaced. The 17th Century street pattern laid out within the ramparts of the planned Plantation settlement has, however, survived virtually unchanged. The centre of Coleraine is therefore of historical and architectural significance both as an example of a planned Plantation settlement, and as a Nineteenth Century market town, which has retained many buildings from this period.
The Town Centre Appraisal revealed a remarkable degree of uniformity in the buildings along the main east-west spine from Bridge Street to King's Gate Street, and also in most of the side streets, notwithstanding the presence of a number of examples of poor design. The town's historical heritage of listed buildings also makes a significant contribution to the quality of the built environment. The Department is not opposed to modern design provided it is of high quality, respects the wider townscape context, and conforms to the policy as set down. Policy for the control of development within Areas of Townscape and Village Character is contained in Policy ENV 6 in Part 2, Volume 1 of the Plan.
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