The brief

Moyle District Council situated on the North-East corner of Northern Ireland overlooking the Scottish Coast, has rich cultural heritage and is famed for its scenic land and seascapes. The area is home to many of Ireland's most popular visitor attractions, such as the Giant's Causeway.

The Council recognised that there is a need to address the current lack of indoor or wet weather facilities in the district, and has discussed the possibility of developing an indoor Leisure/Visitor attraction, which will contribute to the local leisure infrastructure and tourism product. Such provision will link in with existing facilities and attractions. Moyle District Council appointed Strategic Leisure to undertake a feasibility study to assess the potential for such a development, including the options for location, its commercial viability, and indicative revenue assumptions.

Our Approach

Strategic Leisure undertook an audit of all local leisure and tourism provision, and an extensive market research exercise involving both residents and tourists. This research provided clear indications of the type and range of provision that people felt is needed in the area.

Strategic Leisure worked with the Gibson Hamilton Partnership, architects to identify and assess a number of site options for the development of the proposed facility, and also the potential mix of provision that could be developed. Gibson Hamilton produced outline capital costs for the proposed facility mix, to inform the likely levels of capital funding required to develop the leisure/visitor attraction.

Outcome

In association with BDO, Strategic Leisure produced indicative revenue estimates for the proposed facility, to illustrate the likely levels of revenue funding and subsidy required to support its operation