Planning approval for 53 new apartments in Derry has been delayed due to confusion over where exactly they will be located.
The apartments are to be constructed at the site of a former filling station in the Foyle Road, details of which were discussed at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council.
The applicant for the development is Maxol Limited.
However, while an approval was issued for new development, the issuing of the approval has had to delayed over confusion as to where they will be located.
A planning officer told the meeting theret was a ‘question’ over the address, as the site was known as both 4 Foyle Road and 4 Letterkenny Road, but they were happy to progress with it as 4, Foyle Road.
She added that steps had been taken to ‘clarify’ the address, but there was a ‘discrepancy’ with the Post Office.
The SDLP’s Brian Tierney said as a former resident of the area, he knew it as the Letterkenny Road, and asked what legal implications there were for council if they approved the plans for the wrong address.
Maura Fox, Head of Planning with council told the meeting that due to the confusion, councillors could issue a decision, but the application would have to be re-advertised.
If there were no objections, then the approval could then be issued.
Responding, Sinn Fein’s Tony Hassan said that it was ‘ridiculous’ that the application had been brought before council before the issue with the address had been resolved.
Cllr Tierney added: “Next door to this is listed as 6, Letterkenny Road, as a decision, this is pretty straightforward, but we’re sitting here debating because we don’t know what the address is.”
In relation to objection to the plans, the officer said an objection had been received from the leaseholder of the Maxol Service Station which is the existing premises located on the site.
Commenting, Sinn Fein councillor Patricia Logue said that the removal of the shop would have a ‘detrimental’ effect on elderly people living in the area who ‘do not have the means to travel to the city centre’.
Despite the concerns, the plans were approved, with Cllr Logue abstaining from the vote.
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