Council seeks public input on Clooney Masterplan Proposals
9 November 2023
Derry City and Strabane District Council is inviting the public to give feedback on detailed proposals for greenspace, connecting cycle paths and upgrades to sports facilities in the Clooney area, ahead of planning applications to be brought forward in 2024.
These plans will be made available for the public to view at several locations during the autumn period.
The plans will be available at the following locations on the following dates:
- Glendermott Cricket Club on Wednesday 22nd November from 12pm until 9pm
- Foyle Arena on Thursday 23rd November from 12pm until 9pm
- Institute’s Pre-Application Community Consultation meeting at Brigade Cricket Ground in early December
Officers from the Council’s Green Infrastructure Team will be in attendance to answer any questions and the maps of the designs will be available. Council has instructed McCloy Consulting to progress with detailed designs.
The latest consultation comes following a five-stage consultation and engagement process which Council embarked on in 2021. The process saw Council officers engaging with stakeholders, facilitating information sessions supported by the Department for Communities and preparing an in-house concept plan which was subsequently presented and endorsed by the relevant stakeholders. A report on the outcome of the consultation was presented to members of the Environment and Regeneration Committee in December 2021.
Following that, in November 2022 the Department for Communities sought Expressions of Interest from all parties interested in the leasehold of part of the lands at Clooney Park West for the use of recreational purposes in a way that provides social benefit to the local community, while aligning with the overall Masterplan.
As a result of that process, Institute Football Club were selected as the preferred tenant. At present, the Department for Communities is currently completing a due diligence process to ensure that Institute FC has the necessary finance to deliver the proposal set out in their Expression of Interest. Institute have appointed Gravity Architects to take forward their designs and given the size of their development, Institute FC will be required by Council’s Planning Committee to host a Pre-Application Community Consultation, anticipated to be in early December.
Council’s GI plans will be on display in Glendermott Cricket Club and Foyle Arena during November, as well as at Institute’s Pre-Application Community Consultation in early December at Brigade Cricket Ground.
Following the consultation this month, Officers will collate all feedback, make appropriate design amendments and update Council committee in December 2023, with the intention of submitting planning applications thereafter.
