Council approves 26 new apartments for Co Derry town

Planning permission has been granted for 26 new apartments within Coleraine town centre. 

The new housing development will be located on Circular Road, north of The Mall car park.

The housing block, which will be built by Radius Housing, will include two apartments which have wheelchair access. There will also be a scooter store, cycle store and bin store. 

Communal open space and six car parking spaces are also included in the developer’s plans.

There was one objection to the proposal. The objection was in relation to increased traffic flow as a result of the development, increased demand for on street parking, potential impact to amenity and damage to neighbouring properties during construction, the timing of construction and potential antisocial behaviour from the residents of the new development. 

As a result of this objection, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council consulted several bodies including the Natural Environment Division, DFI Roads, NI Water, Environmental Health and NIHE, all of which raised no objections subject to proposed conditions.

A spokesperson from Radius Housing spoke at the committee meeting. 

They said: “We advocate for those on the housing waiting list in Coleraine who could make one of these 26 apartments their home. NIHE has confirmed there are over 1,000 applicants on the waiting list for accommodation in the town. Of this figure 163 are classed as elderly and 94 are in housing stress. The Housing Executive fully supports the 26 apartments that the Council plan to deliver. Radius purchased the site in 2021 and it is featured in the social housing development programme for two years. Budget reconstrains mean that funding for new social housing schemes is limited. If this scheme was approved today then it would be at the front of the queue to secure limited funding to achieve an on site start before the end of March. 

“You will be aware of the Northern Ireland water capacity which continues to be a significant constraint to delivering new build projects. For this site we have an engineering solution already agreed with NI Water which will be fully funded and delivered by Radius. This is a well-designed high quality energy efficient housing scheme designed by award winning architects in the heart of Coleraine. This can make a tangible difference by providing safe, convenient and affordable homes for those on the waiting list.” 

The application was approved by the planning committee with 10 for, one against and one abstention.