A bid to progress a multi-million pound regeneration scheme on a controversial bonfire site in Derry’s Bogside has taken a significant step forward with the submission of full planning applications.
Located close to the landmark ‘Free Derry Corner’, the Meenan Square project proposes a mixed-use development, comprising community services, housing and essential local amenities, including retail, commercial and office space.
Eight new homes are also included in the plans being taken forward by Apex Housing and Meenan Square Developments Ltd.
Proposals to redevelop the site have been under development for a number of years.
The former buildings, including the old Bogside Inn premises, were demolished in 2021 and Apex Housing bought site from Westco Developments (NI) Ltd two years later.
The £12m project was selected in 2016 as one of five projects for The Executive Office’s 2016 Urban Villages Initiative, with TEO and the Department for Communities providing £10.2m to fund it.
Apex Housing will pay around £1.6m.
“The regeneration of Meenan Square is about more than just bricks and mortar,” said Sheena McCallion, chief executive of Apex Housing.
“It’s about building a more vibrant and sustainable community and transforming a significant area of the city for the generations to come.”
Ciaran O’Donnell, project co-ordinator at Meenan Square Developments Ltd said the new project will provide a space for all communities to live and thrive in.
“I am extremely grateful for the support and feedback that local residents and interested parties have provided the team during the consultation process as we sought to deliver real and lasting impact in the local community through the revitalisation of Meenan Square.”
