Approval for 674 new homes 'marks a significant milestone'

Around 90 homes have already been built at the site on Clooney Road

Plans to build more than 670 new houses in Londonderry's Waterside have been given the go-ahead with the developer pledging to upgrade one of the city’s busiest roundabouts.

Developer South Bank Square Ltd was given outline planning permission to build at Ballyoan on a site overlooking Caw roundabout in 2019.

On Wednesday, Derry City and Strabane District Council’s planning committee approved a full planning application for 674 homes.

Martin Mallon from South Bank Square said the planning approval “marks a significant milestone”.

The scheme, which is being delivered in partnership with Choice Housing, has already seen around 90 homes built at the Clooney Road site.

Choice Housing’s Jon Anderson said planning approval “means that housing stress will be lifted from many families in the area in the coming years.”

It will be completed over the next 10 years and represents a £100m investment, developers said.

During Wednesday’s meeting councillors were told upgrade work would be carried out at both the nearby Caw and Gransha roundabouts.

Work could begin at the Gransha roundabout “imminently”, the developer told the planning committee, with discussions ongoing with the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) about when the Caw upgrade could begin.

No more than 48 dwellings will be occupied before the Caw roundabout has been upgraded, the developers assured councillors.

The Caw roundabout is one of Derry's busiest junctions, dealing with traffic from four main roads, including the Clooney Road – the main arterial route into the city coming from Limavady - Crescent Link and the Foyle bridge.

There have long been calls for the roundabout to be upgraded to include traffic lights and slip lanes.

Last month in response to a question from Foyle Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson, Stormont’s Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said the Caw roundabout upgrade was “the responsibility of the developer.”

He said DfI officials had met with the developer to discuss their upgrade proposals.

The minister added: “My department’s focus is to ensure that the proposals are safe, that they mitigate the effect of the increased traffic caused by the new development, that they do not prejudice other adjacent road users and that progress continues towards delivery in a timely manner.”

The site is close to the main Derry to Limavady road and Foyle bridge

'Growing demand'

Welcoming the plans at Wednesday’s meeting, Sinn Féin councillor Sean Fleming said there is a critical need for housing in the Waterside area of Derry.

He said the roundabout upgrades “are a critical part of this development”.

“The developers have given assurances that they understand the need for these upgrades… I will urge them to make any and all efforts to advance those works in a timely manner,” he said.

DUP councillor Niree McMorris also welcomed the development, and described the roundabout upgrades as “critical work”.

“It (traffic) is mad now without putting this large development into the mix,” she said.

The chair of the planning committee Fergal Leonard said: “The addition of 674 new homes is a very welcome development for the city and will help to meet the growing demand for accommodation.”