A former RAF dome used to train anti-aircraft gunners during the Second World War could be given a new lease of life as a community events space, it can be revealed.
The anti-aircraft dome trainer sits at the former RAF Limavady site close to Aghanloo.
Described as one of the “most unique” of its kind “making it one of the most historically significant but difficult to reuse structures”.
Now, Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust wants to bring the dome back into use as a display and events space, open to the public. Hamilton Architects has now submitted an application on the organisation’s behalf.
“The building is a scheduled monument and is incredibly rare, being one of eight such monuments remaining in the United Kingdom, and the only one located on the island of Ireland,” documents say.
“As such, the approach to making the building fit for us needed to be carefully considered to preserve the authenticity of the dome in its current condition.
“The proposals also need to consider the health and safety of building users and the viability of the building as an event space.”
The dome falls under the broader Binevenagh and Coastal Lowlands Landscape Partnership project, a National Lottery Heritage funded project with a remit to increase access to built heritage in the area for community benefit.
The trainer dome is a single-storey reinforced concrete hemisphere-framed structure, circular in plan, built in 1942 to the designs of Henry Christian Stephens. The framework of welded steel was fabricated off-site and used as a wire frame to support the poured concrete during construction and reinforced the shell.
The interior had a plastered finish, and the exterior was cement rendered with a camouflage of tar spray coating over. The reinforced concrete frame sits on a circular concrete projecting plinth with an integrated drip mould to capture rainwater.
It was built within RAF Limavady, which was formerly one of a series of strategically important airfields established in Northern Ireland during the Second World War.
“The airfield is no longer in operation, but a large number of structures remain, many of which are being reused as part of an industrial and commercial estate,” documents say.
“The trainer dome is one of the most unique, making it one of the most historically significant but difficult to reuse structures.”
The plans would see the insertion of new structural steel shell into existing structure and provision of new electrical services to the existing building.
It would also include “improved access to the building including amendments to the existing vehicle and pedestrian entrance from Dowland Road, new access road, and eight parking spaces”.
“Provision of a new modular structure containing an office for three staff, accessible toilet, and a store. Improvement in the setting of the building including new access paths and external lighting.”