Residents vent anger over parking and HMOs around Derry's Magee campus

Residents living around the Magee campus in Derry have voiced their frustrations over Ulster University’s expansion plans at a public meeting.

Car parking, congestion and the ‘disproportionate’ concentration of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in the area surrounding the university were all raised at the, at times tense meeting, on Thursday with representatives of Ulster University and Magee Taskforce chair, Stephen Kelly.

Addressing the meeting Mr Kelly gave a presentation to residents outlining the university’s expansion plans.

Ulster University is aiming to bring 10,000 students to Derry by 2032.

Mr Kelly spoke about the economic benefits that an expanded Magee campus would bring to the city and region.

He said the expansion of the campus needs to be successful for both the university and for the local community.

The Magee Taskforce chair told the crowd that the university is seeking to expand the campus towards the river and the city centre and that the university would neither support or object to developers applying for permission for HMOs.

Residents asked Mr Kelly about the university’s plans for parking provision in the local community.

One resident from Aberfoyle Crescent said residents were “at the epicentre of the problem” and the parking situation was at “boiling point”. She asked if there was a “structured plan in place” to deal with the parking problem.

Another resident spoke about the difficulties for emergency services to access narrow streets around the Magee campus due to double parking. The Dill Park resident explained how his wife was ‘fortunate’ to have a stroke during the weekend as it was easier for an ambulance to access their home than it would be during weekdays.

Mr Kelly said he understood concerns regarding parking and highlighted his own experience with parking issues in the Culmore area.

“I live in Culmore,” he told the crowd. “Even where I am we have issues with parking. My mother was with us before she passed away and we couldn’t get the carers in, so I understand the stress of not being able to access your own street, your own home.”

He said that was “unacceptable to us as family and it's not acceptable to you and the people in and around your area”.

There was an angry response from residents to Mr Kelly’s comments, with many claiming that they are “living with this daily”.

Mr Kelly said the university has a responsibility to ensure that parking is available as part of the planning process.

He also highlighted the university’s plans to promote the usage of public transport as a means of reducing traffic congestion in the area.

The Taskforce chair pointed out that the parking issue was a multi-agency issue that needed to be dealt with.

“This isn’t just a university issue," he said. “There are other authorities that need to step up and deliver on commitments that have been made years ago as well as commitments that were made to look after communities that are here now.

“It’s not acceptable that people park on double yellow lines and block people from getting in and out of their houses, blocking emergency services or carers or others.”

He added that he was “surprised” that 17 years after leaving his role as City Centre manager that an agreement to implement a parking scheme in the Aberfoyle area had not been put in place.

Director of Community Engagement at Ulster University, professor Duncan Morrow told residents that a parking scheme for residents should be considered to ease parking concerns.

He told residents that the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) has begun to repaint double lines in the surrounding areas to help deter people from parking illegally.

He also stated the university is “working very closely” with the PSNI and traffic wardens to “try and get an alert system” put in place.

He said: “One of things that we’re going to be putting around all of the neighbours here, just from a university point of view, is a fridge magnet with contact numbers for anytime this kind of thing happens.”

One resident branded the proposal as “ridiculous” and "outrageous".

Professor Morrow again highlighted the university’s efforts to encourage students not to travel to the campus in cars and efforts were ongoing to improve public transport to and from the university with Translink.

He said that finding a solution to the parking issue was “critical”.

Accommodation

Concerns were also raised about the high number of HMOs in the area.

Mr Kelly told the crowd that HMOs were needed to help house students.

He also pointed out that Ulster University would be developing its existing Duncreggan site to accommodate more students and that developers were being encouraged to seek opportunities to develop accommodation along the riverfront and city centre.

Prior to the meeting, newly formed residents group Concerned Residents Around Magee (CRAM), called for Derry and Strabane District Council to immediately impose a 10% cap on the number of HMOs approved in the area.

This call was reiterated at the meeting by writer and local resident Dave Duggan.

Speaking at the meeting John Kelpie, Chief Executive of Derry and Strabane District Council, told the crowd that “from the council’s perspective” they don’t want residents to move out of the area like what had been suggested by residents.

He said he wants the expansion of Magee to be carried out in a “sustainable way”.

“What we want are the students when they graduate from Ulster University to stay in the city and raise families in the streets they currently live in,” he said.

Addressing HMOs he said there were no planning policies to deal with HMOs, however council is now in a position to control the number and sizes of HMOs in areas in the city.

At a planning committee meeting in January, councillors agreed that all applications for HMOs, where they would lead to more than 10% in a street, will be brought to the committee for consideration.

Glen Development Initiative's Adrian Kelly asked Mr Kelpie why council planning officers had not met with the local community despite assurances that this would happen.

Mr Kelly said residents were frustrated due to a lack of knowledge surrounding the planning process.

Mr Kelpie said he would “take that on the chin” and assured residents that council would meet with the community and explain in detail the planning process.

“If we haven’t engaged with you, (then) we should have done,” Mr Kelpie said. “So what I’m saying here tonight and the reason I’m here this evening is to recommit to that.”

He added: “We need to set up a mechanism where your detailed questions can be posed to planning officers so you know precisely the details of all of this and we need to answer you precisely.”

Concerns were also raised about retrospective planning permission granted for HMOs.

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin praised residents and urged council to take onboard the “clear demands” of the community.

“There’s a clear call for the adoption of a 10% cap on HMOs in the area and it can't be denied,” Cllr Harkin said.

He urged Ulster University to build four-year accommodation instead of one-year accommodation for students to help ease the ongoing housing crisis.

Sinn Féin MLA Padraig Delargy said his party has been campaigning for a parking scheme for the area. He urged residents to report any vehicles that are parked illegally.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said: “We need a real focus from other agencies on issues such as planning, housing and parking now as well as intensified efforts from UU to identify and create purpose built student accommodation options that won't just provide residency but also regenerate the city centre.”