War of Words on Creggan planning application

A war of words has erupted between a residents’ association and a Derry councillor regarding a proposed housing development in the city.

Responding to a recent Derry Now interview with Independent councillor Gary Donnelly, High Park Residents’ Association described his remarks as “unfounded and malicious allegations”.

The planning application for the contentious social housing development, in the Magowan Park / High Park area of Creggan was submitted by Magowan NI Limited on September 6, 2023.

The members of High Park Residents’ Association strongly refuted Cllr Donnelly’s claim their opposition was motivated by NIMBY-ism (Not In My Back Yard).

The Association said: “We feel that in an area which is already densely populated, there are many more sites more suitable for social housing within the city area, which the Derry Development Plan has designated for housing.

“The Housing Executive, which in our opinion might just have a wee bit more knowledge on social housing and its suitable location than self-appointed expert Gary, strongly opposes this proposal.

“As you say yourself in your piece Gary: ‘The Housing Executive [NIHE] knows the needs and issues on the ground’ but for some reason you choose to ignore its opposition to this proposal.”

In a letter to Derry City and Strabane District Council’s senior planning officer, as part of the consultation around the proposed development, the NIHE’s Head of Place Shaping North asserted the application site was “contrary” to the Derry Area Plan 2011.
According to the NIHE, this was because the application site was located “outside the settlement development limit”.

“We have had previous correspondence about this site but the Housing Executive have not offered support due to the availability of developable land within the settlement limit, as well as the site’s location outside the development limit of Derry City.

“While there is considerable identified social housing need in the Westbank (Waterloo) Housing Need Assessment (HNA) area, the social housing need projection is for 1,107 units over the period 2022-27; as the Regional Housing Authority with a statutory responsibility to assess housing need, we cannot confirm that this location is sustainable and best placed to address said need.

“The Housing Executive is also conscious that as the Strategic Housing Authority for Northern Ireland, we are a partner in the Local Development Planning (LDP) process and as a partner organisation, we would like to respect the integrity of that process in so far as possible. Particularly with respect to proposals that lie outside the development limits of the City, towns and villages within the Council area,” said NIHE.

High Park Residents’ Association acknowledged the need for housing in Derry.

It added: “That is stating the obvious. Gary is totally right in the points he makes about the need and we have no doubt he is encountering this need in his daily work as he states. However, if we take Gary’s attitude, in his Derry News piece,to its logical conclusion, we would just build on every green space available, until none was left, with no regard for the current residents living in heavily built up areas and their quality of life.

“These residents are probably some of your own voters, Gary.

“Next thing, Gary will want the banking at Southway and the green on Eastway built on. That is where his short-sighted view brings you eventually. It is a nonsensical proposition.

“This proposal by Gary regarding housing may be a populist solution, which suits politicians looking for new votes in their ward, but it impacts adversely on the current residents,” said the Association.

The group also accused Cllr Donnelly of trying to “cloud things by bringing up the ‘suspicion in the community’ that residents who object are worried about the value of their properties”.

It added: “Good one Gary but your tactic is very transparent, divide and conquer, those who rent against those who own.

“We have a few questions for Gary since he has strongly questioned our motives: Who is organising the petition to support the private developers in Magowan Limited who are pushing this scheme not for social benefits but to make a healthy profit?

“That is what developers do. This is a model used over and over by developers in Derry. Spot a piece of land, buy it and then offer to build housing on it for any housing association interested and make a really good profit when it is complete. Nothing wrong with that. They are private developers. Profit is their motive.

“However, this scheme, like many originates, with the private developers and they are unlikely to be worried about its long term impact. They will undoubtedly be living far from it unlike the current residents. They will have already moved on to securing the next available green space and will have pocketed the profit from the previous one,” said High Park Residents’ Association.

The Association asked Cllr Donnelly to clarify whether or not he had any links, met or been lobbied by the private development company.

It said: “As a public representative Cllr Donnelly is duty bound to answer these questions.

“We found it strange that this piece was put into the Derry News so early in the planning process and, call us suspicious, but the piece has much on social housing need and alludes to Springtown, with many references to genuine need but it reads, to any reasonable observer, like an article conceived and built around the Magowan Limited proposal, with its only purpose to try to publicly pressurise others to support this development.

“To use your own words here Gary there are ‘suspicions within the community’  about this proposal.

“Hopefully other public representatives will take a different view on this proposal and take into account the current residents in Creggan and their quality of life.

“The words ‘social housing’ should not be used as an irrefutable way to blackmail opponents of private developers. We also note Cllr Donnelly conveniently left out the words ‘private development company’ in his lengthy piece. There was not one mention of it. What a surprise.”