New Culmore social housing development gets go-ahead despite opposition

by Gareth Cross

A new social housing development in Culmore has been given the go-ahead despite opposition from local residents.

Fifty new homes are to be built in the Ballynagard area alongside a football pitch, changing facilities and children's play area. The new homes will be a mixture of detached, semi-detached, terraced housing and apartments.

Thornhill College and Foyle Golf Centre are adjacent to the planned development.

The application was approved at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council's Planning Committee in Strabane last week.

The meeting heard that "a total of 88 representations have been received on the application", mainly from residents of Ballynagard Crescent, Thornhill Park and Ballynagard and Woodland Residents Association.

Councillors were told: "The majority of the objections were received in 2014, with a significant number also received since the application was amended from 'affordable' to 'social' housing."

Among the reasons given for objecting to the plans were the loss of open space, traffic impacts, layout issues of the new development, concerns about local school places and the possibility of damage to the community fabric.

The meeting heard from John Thompson who was representing objectors and local residents in the area.

Mr Thompson said that the project had been seven years in the making and was in a unique mixed community.

He said that council was currently involved in a consultation with local residents in the area about community facilities and this would have an impact on the planning application.

Mr Thompson said that residents would like the playing pitch removed from the plans as they had a number of ideas for the area including a woodland and allotments.

He told the meeting that local residents wanted to find a compromise on the plans to allow them to proceed and called for a deferral.

Stressful

Mr Thompson said that there was potential for a judicial review around the application and that the matter had been 'stressful on the community'.

DUP councillor Hilary McClintock said that she had thought the application was a 'great news story' for the Culmore area which lacked community facilities.

Responding, Mr Thompson said that discussions were ongoing regarding the use of the site with council and that residents had been led to believe council would support their plans.

SDLP councillor Tina Gardiner asked if the residents were objecting to the number of housing units.

Her party colleague councillor Angela Dobbins asked if there were issues around the development being social housing.

Mr Thompson replied saying that the homes were originally 'affordable housing but have been changed to 'social'.

Cllr Dobbins said that residents 'whole-heartedly objected' to the football field and changing facilities as they thought it would be a 'hive for anti-social behaviour'.

Mr Thompson said that the plans for the football pitch had originally been objected to because it was twice the size of a similar facility at Brooke Park.

Alderman McClintock said she was 'alarmed' that one element of council was dealing with a local working group and giving the impression they were on board with plans.

SDLP councillor John Boyle said that while the development would be good news he was starting to get concerned.

He told the meeting that irrespective of other issues councillors had to make a decision and there would be the oppourtunity for the plans to be changed in the future.

Sinn Fein councillor Patricia Logue said that "50 social homes are very, very welcome" and that the developer could make decision regarding certain elements of the plan down the line.

The application was passed with Alderman McClintock abstaining.