Planning permission has been approved for the building of nearly 700 new homes in Derry’s Waterside.
Members of Derry city and Strabane district council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for 674 new homes on Wednesday. The development, at Ballyoan, will include 33 detached and 473 semi-detached houses along with 168 apartments.
The development is expected to take eight to ten years to complete and involves an investment of more than £100 million. The final phase of a wider housing scheme in the area, the development also includes plans to upgrade the Caw Roundabout, one of the main gateways to Derry.
Chairman of the council’s planning committee, Fergal Leonard said the new homes would help meet the growing demand for accommodation in Derry.
Mr Leonard said: “The mix of houses and apartments offered in this development means they are suitable for a variety of people, from those who live alone, couples or larger families and I expect the units in the finished development to be in high demand.”
Martin Mallon of South Bank Square, one of the companies behind the development, the approval marked a significant milestone for the development and the local community.
South Bank Square managing director, Mr Mallon said: “This project also represents a £100 million investment in the area and will create new jobs and bring other benefits to the north west region.”
Jon Anderson, of Choice, which is also involved in the development, said the building of the 674 homes would help lift the “housing stress” for many families in the area. Mr Anderson said the companies involved planned to move ahead with the house builds as soon as possible.
“We have also delivered hundreds of affordable homes as part of the first phase of this development and it is fantastic to see so many first-time buyers benefit from new quality homes that have come on the market,” Mr Anderson said.
