Foyle International proposes Governor Road extension to accommodate professional and university-level ‘educational tourists’

Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee will be asked to greenlight four new HMOs in Derry City.

Members of September’s Committee will be asked to approve changes of use, from dwelling to a house of multiple occupation (HMO), at two Hawthorn Terrace addresses; a a five-bedroom HMO at No.27 and a four-bedroom HMO at No. 24.

A statement in support of the No.27 application said there would be no physical changes to the building if the application is successful, with the only potential change being to the number of persons living in it.

“It is a three bedroom two storey terrace dwelling, maximum occupancy 5-6 which is no larger than an average family for this type of dwelling. As such no additional noise is envisaged,” the statement reads.

Members will also be asked consider a four-bed HMO at 24 Ernest Street, and the conversion of a dwelling, as well as the erection of a two-storey rear extension, at 37 Governor Road, to accommodate language school students attending Foyle International on Great James Street.

Foyle International representatives said students using the Governor Road HMO are generally between 24 and 30 and come for short periods of time, from three weeks to a maximum of 24 weeks, but the general stay time is 4-12 weeks.

“The students are all private paying clients as we are a private language school and are generally professional people or students at vocational or university level,” they stated, adding:

“Our business is described as Educational Tourism.”