CONCERNS have been raised that plans for a new dwelling on a busy road in Derry could increase the risks in an area which sees 3,000 vehicles pass through it every day.
It comes after plans were lodged fora new dwelling and garage in side garden of 154 Culmore Road with a new access to Culmore Road.
The existing dwelling at 154 will be retained with re-location of its existing access onto Culmore Road.
The application came before the April meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee.
It had previously come before a meeting of the same committee in November, but a decision had been deferred so that councillors could visit the application site.
At the meeting, a planning officer explained that as part of the proposal, the existing access to 154 Culmore Road would be closed up, and re-located.
The officer added that the re-located access point will also have improved visibility and will ‘not compromise road safety standards’.
However, the officer told the meeting that there were issues with visibility in relation to access to new dwelling in the side garden.
She continued that ‘access cannot be reasonably be taken from an adjacent minor road’, before adding that planners were recommending the application be refused, as it would ‘prejudice the safety and convenience of road users’.
The meeting then heard from David Young, speaking on behalf of the applicant, who said that concerns had been raised by Transport NI about the ‘other side of the road’, not the side of the road the proposed new dwelling was on.
He added that the application had been ‘refused due to one sight line’, before adding that his instruction from the applicant was to appeal the refusal and ‘seek costs’ from Transport NI.
Mr Young continued that a similar application for a site in the Hillsborough Road area of Carryduff had gone to appeal, and the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) had ruled in favour of the applicant.
“We feel we will be successful at appeal,” he added.
Following a discussion on the potential impact the plans would have on visibility for road users, the SDLP’s John Boyle proposed that the committee defer making any decision until they could get further information in relation to the Carryduff application, which was seconded by his party colleague, Gus Hastings.
However, Sinn Fein’s Kieran McGuire said that the impact the new development would have on road safety had been ‘explained and explained and explained’, and therefore proposed that they accept the planners’ recommendation to refuse the application.
The matter then went to a vote, which resulted in a deadlock with six votes for and six votes against Cllr Boyle’s proposal.
Given that no consensus could be reached on the issue, it will come before the June meeting of the council’s Planning Committee.
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