Plans for 259 new affordable homes and community centre in Ballymagroarty submitted to Derry and Strabane Council

A recent planning application also seeks approval for construction of a community centre with works to “include new access to Springtown Road, upgrades to Springtown Road and junction of Hawthorne Drive to include two right hand turning lanes”.

Additionally, the plans include development of associated communal amenity spaces, landscaping, and “associated site works, road and car parking”.

According to a Landscape Design Statement, by agents Park Hood, the site is located in the Ballymagroarty townland, south of Sheriff Mountain and Creggan Hill and “rises consistently in a North to South direction from the Springtown Road towards the Groarty Road”.

The statement added: “The landscape is currently open farmland though the lack of use or management has resulted in part of the land having a degraded or abandoned characteristic with colonising rough grass and rush.”

“To the East there are suburban housing estates at Hawthorn Drive, St Eithne’s Park and Ard Grange that make up the western edge of the cityscape.

“The landscape design aims to create a sense of connectivity between spaces and promotes a sense of place and well-being within the mixed use residential development.

“This will be achieved through the use of high quality materials and the establishment of a carefully considered planting scheme.

“A coherent pedestrian footpath network ensures residents and guests can navigate around the site easily.

“This aims to encourage residents to interact and use the public open space created within the landscape design.

“The main public open space incorporates play spaces to ensure the landscape is interactive for children all ages.

“Communal open space is provided at for apartment blocks and duplex units and includes areas of hard landscape, tree planting, ornamental planting including seating / passive amenity areas.”

The application will be presented to council members at a future Planning Committee meeting for decision.

It is one of a number of different housing applications submitted recently to the local authority.

A planning application for a 27-dwelling development in Ardmore was also recently submitted with a mix of 22 semi-detached, three town houses and two detached houses “with associated site works and open space” at Ballybogie Road.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter.