Brandywell dump closing for good this week

The decision to close the dump to make way for a £600,000 play area was approved by elected members last year.

The Council’s Head of Environment Conor Canning said: “We are moving into the construction phase for the planned play park at the Brandywell and the contractor is due on site at the end of February.

“To facilitate this we will be closing the Brandywell Recycling Centre this Friday February 17.

“We have been actively encouraging users in the weeks running up to the closure, to use our other existing recycling sites across the Council area.

“In addition to having our state of the art and enhanced recycling facility at Pennyburn, which opened last year, we have a range of facilities throughout the city and district that are designed to cope with recycling needs for many years to come.

“We will be actively encouraging residents across the Council region to use these facilities to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Frank Morrison, Head of Capital Development and Building Control with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said the development of the new play park represents an investment of around £600,000 by the Council and the Executive Office’s Social Investment Fund, and will mark a significant boost for the Brandywell region.

“The new play park will help promote social interaction and physical activity for children and young people across the city,” he said.

“This is a major investment project for the Council and the Executive Office and a key part of our ongoing commitment to play provision in the city and district and to actively encourage children and young people to get involved in play and an active healthy lifestyle.”

The centre will close permanently at 5pm on Friday. Users will be encouraged to use services at other sites across the city, including the recently upgraded and enhanced facility at Pennyburn. For more information on the closure and alternative sites for recycling visit www.derrystrabane.com/recycling.