A car park in Derry’s city centre is set to shut down and be replaced by a new public space incorporating a ‘performance area’, it has emerged.
The move will form part of the new The Inner Walled City Public Realm project, first announced in June 2016.
The designs include improvements to footways and carriageways, lighting, landscaping, street furniture, public artwork and associated works which aim to regenerate the city centre.
The proposals cover an area which comprises of Linenhall Street, Bank Place, Union Hall Place, Magazine Street, Society Street and Palace Street.
The proposals also include a new public space replacing the Society Street car park, which is owned by Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC).
If approved, only three parking bays will be provided at Society Street but only permit holders will be able to use them.
The project intends using high quality stone paving for the footways and granite paving setts for the carriageways.
A lighting strategy is being devised which will provide a consistency in character and style while sufficiently lighting the streets to meet the required safety levels.
A consultation was held on the proposals which ran from June 20, 2016 until August 28, 2016 and during which time the proposals were placed on display in the Tower Museum.
The Department for Communities (DfC) said that consultees were asked if they thought the removal of the Society Street car park will benefit current and potential users of the area.
The Department stated that almost 63 per cent of respondents thought it would benefit the area, while almost 19 per cent disagreed, with a further 19 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed.
In general, the proposed new public space on the site of the existing Society Street Car Park was ‘positively received’, the consultation found.
However, concerns were raised regarding the removal of parking spaces as well as the potential for this new space to attract anti-social behaviour.
A comment was also received during the consultation requesting that the car park is maintained and used for resident parking.
The DfC has said that Derry City and Strabane District Council as owners of the car park, have stated that this is not possible.
The same response also suggested an alternative site for the proposed public space, such as on Derry’s Walls, but this was ruled out following correspondence with the Historic Environment Division of DfC.
“While the majority of consultees were content with the removal of the car park, the Department has taken on board concerns about the removal of parking spaces and the impact on the overall area and proposes to amend the draft scheme design to provide delineated parking spaces in lower Magazine Street and Society Street,” the Department said.
The Department also commissioned a traffic and parking survey and a review of the scheme proposals by an Access Consultant it said ‘will inform the final design’.
With regard to the potential for anti-social behaviour, it added that the scheme’s design will seek to ‘mitigate this risk through installation of appropriate street lighting and consideration of extending existing CCTV coverage to act as a further deterrent’.
“The Department also said it will work with the local council to ‘animate the space’ as well as relevant authorities including the PSNI and City Centre Initiative (CCI)to help prevent issues arising.
It added that it had considered all the responses received and ‘does not propose to make any amendments to the proposals for the new public space’.
In statement issued to the Derry News this week, a spokesperson for the Department for Communities (DfC) confirmed that the plans for the Inner Walled City Public Realm project are due to be submitted to the council’s Planning Department in the coming weeks.
“Under the scheme it is proposed that the Society Street Car Park will be replaced by a small park/ performance area.
“In addition, it is proposed to extend the permit only parking scheme into Society Street to reduce the traffic within the project area and improve pedestrian access.
“Three parking bays will be provided in Society Street for those with permits.
“Future funding for the project will need to be considered in the context of the Department’s budgetary position.”
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