Avoniel regeneration

Current status

As part of our £105 million Leisure Transformation Programme we invested £8 million in the redevelopment of the former Avoniel Leisure Centre site. The new Avoniel opened in November 2021.

This investment is part of a £45 million investment into leisure provision in east Belfast. We have received £5 million funding from the National Lottery's Heritage Fund towards a £17 million restoration and extension of Templemore Baths, where the focus will be on heritage and spa provision. 

Unique selling point

Following initial consultation with local community groups, statutory organisations, and advice from industry experts, we took the decision that the new centre would focus largely on outdoor leisure provision. The centre’s facilities include:

• one intermediate standard 3G soccer pitch
• three covered 3G five-a-side pitches
• two outdoor 3G five-a-side pitches
• one outdoor 3G seven-a-side pitch
• 240 covered seats
• two studios or multi-purpose rooms
• two meeting or training rooms
• changing facilities for teams, officials and individuals
• car parking