Jeopardised: Proposed Derry regional arts centre

There are fears a proposed major regional arts centre in the Ballyarnett area of the city could be jeopardised by a Council land sale. 

So serious are the concerns, Ollie Green, the arts director of Greater Shantallow Community Arts and Studio 2 in Skeoge Industrial Estate, has urged Council to defer a decision on the land sale. 

A paper on the selling of the Council owned public lands at Ballyarnett Country Park to a private trust is due to come before full Council this afternoon (Wednesday, October 25). 

Proposed Ballyarnett Regional Arts Centre.

According to Mr Green a “full open and transparent public consultation” has not taken place regarding the potential land sale. 

Mr Green has written to Derry City and Strabane District Council’s chief executive and all 40 councillors expressing concern.

Speaking to Derry Now, Mr Green said: “I wanted to make all of the councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council aware that Greater Shantallow Community Arts has actually been working with council officers and others to develop a proposal for a major regional arts centre in Ballyarnett.

“It is a multi-million pound development, which could bring hundreds of jobs in the creative industries to our community in Ballyarnett. It could also act as a catalyst for the future development and investment in the arts sector in the north west, something which has suffered Council under investment for generations. 

“Ironically, the regional arts centre proposal was due to come before Council in December (2023). However, a problem has arisen in that the Council owned public lands at Ballyarnett Country Park, on which we were planning to build, has now been earmarked for sale to a private trust, without a full open and transparent public consultation having taken place. 

“The most recent meeting of the Ballyarnett Growth Partnership Board (BGPB) - a body actually established by Derry City and Strabane District Council to take and influence local decisions - gave unanimous  support for our proposal. At no stage was BGPB made aware of any public consultation on the proposed selling off of the extremely valuable public lands at Ballyarnett Country Park owned by DCSDC,” said Mr Green. 

Two members of Derry City and Strabane District Council attended the BGPB, which took place on September 14, 2023.

Mr Green observed that all previous communication regarding this proposed land disposal at Ballyarnett Country Park had been conducted in ‘restricted business’ within the council committees.

He added: “It seems councillors were unaware of or were not permitted to engage with the wider community regarding the details of this proposal, therefore the lack of public awareness is understandble.  

“Following on from the recent deferral of the matter at Council's Health and Communities committee (October 12, 2023) and the recommendation made for Council officers to engage with stakeholders, a meeting did take place on Friday past (October 20).

“At that meeting, the first and only face-to-face meeting with key stakeholders and council officers, we saw for the first time a recently altered (September 15, 2023) map of the site and lands which Council is considering selling off. 

“We were in fact shown a different map by a different presenting organisation to that originally considered and agreed by council in November 2022. Surely that makes it a different proposal? 

“In addition, the map presented showed a hastily drawn red line, around a large section of land, with neither detail or connection to the agreed current Ballyarnett Country Park Masterplan. This Masterplan has  been endorsed by Council and the community - and is currently going through planning. It was on this we based our alternative proposal for this site,” said Mr Green.

The long-time arts advocate added that it was crucial Council deferred the decision to sell its publicly owned land at Ballyarnett Country Park.

He added: “Given the overwhelming need to maximise limited council owned lands for the future benefit of all our citizens,  surely it is worth Derry City and Strabane District councillors, delaying a possibly misinformed decision making process, until, at the very least they have listened to alternative, publicly consulted upon proposals.

“Some councillors might well suggest this park is big enough to accommodate all  interested parties' proposals. This is true to an extent but only if opportunity is given to create a New Masterplan for the park, before a vital large section of the park has been sold off into private ownership.

“Such a move would inevitably block access to the creation of hundreds of new jobs, which would give the people of our city and region the opportunity to avail of a badly needed major new regional arts centre.

“This may not happen if this land sale is approved by this Council without the due diligence to future proofing required to do the best for all our citizens.”

Making a plea to Derry City and Strabane District Council, Mr Green said: “At this critical time I would ask you to consider deferring any decision regarding the disposal of lands. 

“We fully understand and would be happy to support any individual sports club’s ambitions for an additional playing pitch, as this is something that has been clearly identified by many sports clubs within our community, but not at the expense of scuppering the opportunity for creating major new council owned community facilities and hundreds of job opportunities within the creative industries that our community badly needs.”