Londonderry city centre makeover plans are revealed
- Published
More on-street dining opportunities in areas like Waterloo Street are detailed in the plans
Plans have been unveiled to reimagine the centre of Londonderry and help the city recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
They include creating more on-street dining opportunities for the hospitality sector.
Footpath widening, new street furniture and greater pedestrianisation are also detailed.
The proposals will "restore customer confidence and drive footfall" in the city, Mayor Brian Tierney said.
A reimagined Castle Street in Strabane
The transformation of the Diamond, Ferryquay Street, London Street, Pump Street, Waterloo Street and Castle Street in Strabane are included in the plans, external.
"The plans are being brought forward as part of the wider Covid-19 recovery strategy with the priority being to assist businesses by creating more attractive space, additional outdoor seating areas, better public realm design, enhanced city dressing and other improvements that will help restore customer confidence and drive footfall in these areas," Mr Tierney said.
About £1.4m is in place to support the design delivery of the proposals from the wider Stormont-backed Covid recovery funding package for the region.
The council is exploring how to make use of the Austins building in the Diamond
Plans to utilise the former Austins department store building on Derry's Diamond are also outlined in the urban designers' new proposals.
They say making use of the ground floor will generate further activity in the area.
Their report notes the council is exploring how to make the former shop frontage more animated.
The shutters came down on Austins in 2016 and the building has been vacant since.
Derry City and Strabane District councillors had their first look at the plans, produced by designers at OGU/MMAS, last week.
Maurice Devenney, chair of the council's regeneration committee, said the aspiration was to create "a more attractive and usable city centre for pedestrians and local businesses".
He said the plans build on previous regeneration proposals for the city that came out of an international heritage conference held in Derry in 2018.