Londonderry parklet 'makes city more people friendly'

The scheme will run for an initial period of 18 months

A project that has turned car parking spaces into an area for outdoor dining and socialising makes Londonderry more people-friendly, its mayor has said.

Sandra Duffy said the Bishop Street scheme creates a "very sociable and friendly" city centre space.

It is hoped the new seating and dining space - part of the Stormont-backed Covid Recovery Revitalisation Scheme - will increase city centre footfall.

Bishop Street's new look was officially unveiled on Wednesday.

"This work is a really positive way of supporting the businesses in this part of the city centre as they continue their recovery from the extremely challenging pandemic period," Ms Duffy said.

It is hoped the new public space will encourage more people into the city

When parking spaces are turned into places for people, they are known as parklets.

They have become a popular feature of urban design in recent years.

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Plans to help Derry city centre recover from the pandemic were first announced in December 2020 and the work on Bishop Street was carried out this summer.

Work has also been completed in other city centre areas, including the Diamond, Waterloo Place and Queen's Quay.

The Bishop Street scheme will be in place for an initial 18-months trial period.

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said the Derry project provides "outdoor dining space where people can safely meet and socialise, increasing footfall and regenerating the area".

She added: "This is one of a number of schemes that has been delivered through my department's funding in order to meet local need, support businesses and stimulate much-needed growth for the local economy".