Rory Mooney, 13 Nov
A rethink of parking plans and several projects currently being
progressed for Derry's city centre by several different agencies is
needed, a local MLA has said.
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said a wider consultation is needed in order to
adequately assess the impact of these plans on local businesses and the
public.
The Foyle MLA said: “Currently, three different department or agencies
are separately progressing plans that will have an impact on the
availability of parking in Derry City Centre.
“Last week, I read a local MLA claim credit for parking-related
proposals which are being brought forward by Council officers for
consideration by Council. However, he did not mention plans being
progressed by the Department for Communities that will see the
replacement of Society Street Carpark with ‘a garden’, with work due to
start in March 2024.
“Around the same time, Northern Ireland Water will be embarking on a
significant and overdue piece of work on Foyle Street. This work is
essential but it will see the temporary loss of Foyle Street Carpark
for possibly up to six months.
“Unbelievably, many city centre businesses remain oblivious to these
proposals and have not been consulted, or the inevitable impact on
their trade considered."
Mr Durkan continued: “I understand and actually support the long-term
aspiration to pedestrianise areas within the city centre, recognising
the environmental and economic benefits it could harness.
“However, I have previously been critical of what appears to have been
a piecemeal approach to pedestrianisation to date. Bits have been done
here and there with inadequate consultation with the public, local
business and one sometimes gets the impression between government
agencies themselves.
“Local businesses that are the beating heart of our city centre- they
need to be front and centre of any consultation process, ideally one
that strategically looks at the city centre as an eco-system rather
than at these prospective proposals in isolation.”