Plans to revamp city centre for post-COVID

Exciting proposals to completely revamp Derry’s city centre and help businesses and the city rebound from the coronavirus-inspired downturn were unveiled this week.
By Kevin Mullan
Published 11th Dec 2020, 15:50 BST
Updated 11th Dec 2020, 16:56 BST
Council brings forward exciting proposals to facilitate greater social distancing and allow hospitality and other businesses to trade onto the street.Council brings forward exciting proposals to facilitate greater social distancing and allow hospitality and other businesses to trade onto the street.
Council brings forward exciting proposals to facilitate greater social distancing and allow hospitality and other businesses to trade onto the street.

A new ‘COVID Recovery & Revitalisation: Street Life +Vibrant Places’ report - compiled by urban designers OGU/MMAS - was presented to the Council’s Environment and Regneration Committee this week.

It outlines an ambitious proposition that if realised will transform Derry into a ‘walkable’ city with vibrant street life in Waterloo Place, Waterloo Street, Bishop Street, the Diamond and the Cathedral Quarter. According to the architects the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown could be turned on their head to help radically reimagine how the city centre operates.

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In reference to the Cathedral Quarter it stated: “The covid measures here could be curated to intensify use and generate footfall for businesses. The area has many things to attract people - a mixture of grand old buildings like the former Austins Department Store as well as intimate human-scale streets in the shadow of the cathedral such as London Street and Pump Street. This is an area of Derry where - working with local businesses - some temporary measures could be utilised to inform longer term improvements in the city centre,” the report states.

A wide range of proposals are outlined including the widening of pavements, outdoor seating areas, tree planting and pop-up spaces are included in the document.

Officers are hopeful elements of the works can commence in the spring.

“The central core of Derry is defined by short, walkable distances. A large amount of parking can be reached within five minutes’ walk from the Diamond which might allow minor adjustments to streets to help some businesses,” the report states.

A cocktail of funding will be used to advance the project. The total grant budget is in the region of c£1.4m.

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