By Alan Healy
More than 100 objections have been lodged against plans to build a new housing development on the banks of the River Foyle in Derry.
A property developer has applied for planning permission to build 34 new houses on a riverside site to the rear of Rossbay off the Limavady Road.
The site, which is roughly opposite the former Fort George military base, is currently empty.
The proposed new properties would have all been two storeys in height.
The applicant, which is the McGinnis Group, has now lodged a revised application this week seeking permission to instead construct 25 two-storey houses, with eight bungalows.
The applicant is also seeking to carry out work on the internal road layout and create a pedestrian cycle link from the new development to the existing riverside walkway.
The planning application also includes provision for junction improvements at Ebrington Park/Limavady Road and at the Rockport Park/Limavady Road junctions to provide visibility splays.
However, many of the residents living around the proposed development site are opposed to the plans, with a total of 110 objections registered against the plans to date.
These include individual letters of opposition from people living in the Rossbay, Rockport Park and Caw Park areas.
Increase in traffic
The Derry News visited the Rossbay area earlier this week, where residents were delivering an updated petition to be lodged with the local council against the revised plans.
The residents said that their main concerns are that the increased volume of traffic which will result from the new development, given that vehicles will access the new development via Rossbay.
Concerns have also been raised about the impact the new development will have on the difficulties related to streets which lie off the Limavady Road, such as Rockport Park and Ebrington Park.
The petition states: “It is fair to say that everyone knows how difficult it is to access the Limavady Road, the second busiest route in our city, from any of the entrances.”
“Winter and closure or either of the two bridges can present even more major issues.
“No reference is made in the submission to the impact of Foyle College opening in January 2018 and the additional traffic, particularly buses, that this will bring.”
It continues: “The reports do not mention or refer to the additional housing along the Limavady Road, nor the closure of any of the two bridges and their effect on traffic.”
The application is expected to come before a future meeting of the local council’s Planning Committee for discussion.
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