Fresh application for over 600 social houses and apartments in new 928 home Ballyoan neighbourhood

The application was lodged with Derry City and Strabane District Council last week.

It consists of a proposed new 676 home residential development incorporating 481 semi-detached and 27 detached houses and 168 apartments, the vast majority of which will be social homes.

The application includes a children’s play area, bus route, and other amenities and is part of the wider H30 lands zoned for housing that are already subject to planning approval for private sale housing and a neighbourhood centre under previous permissions LA11/2016/0422/O; LA11/2019/0988/RM; and LA11/2020/0618/RM.

Work on phase 1 of the South Bank Square development at Ballyoan on a massive site bounded by the Crescent Link, Clooney Road and Rossdowney Road opposite Gransha commenced a number of years ago.

A design and access statement submitted with the fresh application LA11/2024/0091/F notes that the second phase will comprise of social housing and will bring the overall size of the neighbourhood up to almost 1,000 homes.

"Following partnership with Choice Housing Association, it is now proposed to develop the majority of the zoning as social housing, resulting in a review of the layout and proposed house types.

"The current proposals represent Phase 2 of the social housing development following the approval of Phase 1 under LA11/2022/0114/RM. A separate application for a revised Neighbourhood Centre was recently approved under LA11/2023/1529/F

“Through the social housing design review, the overall number of dwellings on the H30 zoning (including Phase 1) is now 928 no. dwellings, compared with 739 no. dwellings under the previous approvals (private), in line with the current housing needs of the area.

"In addition, the amendments now incorporate a bus route that loops through the entirety of the site. This removes the previously approved bus turning circles and allow for safer, more attractive children’s play areas,” the document states.

The design statement notes the growing need for social housing in the Waterside.

"There is a particular lack of new social housing development in this area and the subject site will significantly contribute towards meeting the need to 2027 and beyond,” it states.

Planning approved for massive housing estate