Traders worry over long-term Foyle Street closure

Barriers are closing off Foyle Street in Derry and could be in place for more than a year

Some businesses in Londonderry say they are concerned about the long-term impact of the closure of one of the city’s busiest streets.

Foyle Street will be closed for more than a year to facilitate a major upgrade to the city centre's water and sewerage infrastructure.

Work is expected to take up to 64 weeks to complete and traders say that is what is causing them concern.

NI Water said it will continue to liaise with business throughout the “much-needed, essential” upgrade.

Traders are hopeful business will not be severely impacted

Olive McEleney works a works in her family-run hair salon on Foyle Street.

She told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme she understands the need for an upgrade.

However, she hoped it could have been completed in less time.

To date, she added, clients have been parking nearby and walking to the salon.

That is not proving a challenge now, she said, but it could when winter comes.

“We will just have to advertise at each end of the street that we are opened – it lets everyone see it is business as usual," she said.

“Hopefully, the small businesses in Foyle street keep trading and hopefully we’ll be successful as time goes on."

There is still pedestrian access to Foyle Street

Mona Elliot runs a coffee shop at the bus depot on Foyle Street.

She is also concerned how the road’s closure will play out in the long-term.

“We hope that people will get used to it and it is business as usual,” she said.

“If not, it is going to be a long-term effect on us all. Like everybody else we are happy it is being done. It is the length of time it is going to take that is the main issue.

'Support local business'

City centre manager Jim Roddy says he understands traders' concerns but the work has to be done

NI Water said there were plans in place to “manage deliveries and other day-to-day operations” for local traders.

“Foyle Street car park has been reconfigured to accommodate bus services while pipelaying work on Foyle Street is ongoing,” NI Water said, adding that “we hope that members of the public will continue to support local businesses as this essential NI Water work is carried out”.

Manager of Derry’s City Centre Initiative Jim Roddy said he understood traders' concerns.

However, he said consultation on the upgrade had been ongoing for some time and NI Water had taken on board concerns.

“They (NI Water) have come they have consulted, they have listened. They changed their initial plans dramatically from what they thought they had to do to keep business operating in this area.

“Nonetheless it is still going to be disruptive for people. We know these works need to be done. The sewers there are over 100 years old,” he said.

NI Water has advised motorists to follow the signs informing them of diversions around Foyle Street.

A number of changes are in place for Translink’s bus services.

The Foyle Metro services now operate from within the bus depot instead of along Foyle Street, while the Foyle Street car park is now used for Ulsterbus services that operate beyond the city.