New Ebrington development will support 560 new jobs once completed, Derry reps told

The various new additions to the former army base site were detailed before approval was granted on Wednesday by the Council’s Planning Committee.

The two new developments include new multi-use commercial buildings, new homes, a multi-storey car park with 423 spaces and Grade A offices.

The multi-use buildings will be commercial and office space on ground floors, with a total of 32 apartments on upper floors, with a central public square.

A separate application was also approved for two residential blocks, comprising a total 40 apartments.

Senior Planning Officer, Sarah Barrett, said the site had been designed to conceal the car park and “make a positive contribution to the streetscape, while still respecting the scale on Limavady Road”, with basement car parking provided at one of the multi-use buildings.

“The Ebrington proposals have been designed to be a business centre for the city and region,” Ms Barrett said.

“A landscape and pedestrian-led concept masterplan that integrates vehicle access and parking to serve the current and future development.

“The buildings have been designed to have active frontages onto open spaces, creating a vibrant, well-overlooked public space.”

A spokesperson for agents Inaltus Limited, Eamonn Loughrey, said the development equates to “a £39.5 million investment, which will create 196 direct jobs and 212 indirect jobs, and generate about £60 million in gross value added to the local economy from the construction process”.

He said: “Once operational, the development provides around 560 new, direct, full-time jobs, 75 percent of which will be residents of the Council area.”

Mr Loughrey added that they had developed the plan for a “number of years, working closely with the Planning Department and consultees, to develop a proposal that reflects the council’s aspirations for this central part of the Ebrington site.”

Elected reps were assured that residents and businesses occupying the site will be well informed beforehand about the potential for major events at the nearby Ebrington Square.

Sinn Féin councillor Christopher Jackson said it was “really exciting” to see progress in the Ebrington site, and this was “another element” of it.

“I feel that it’s a fantastic use of the space,” Colr. Jackson added. “It’s really innovative in terms of the underground car parking and how it blends into the wider site.”

SDLP councillor John Boyle and Colr. Jackson both stressed that occupants needed to be made aware of potential noise at Ebrington Square, after a premises was compensated £280,000 due to event noise last year.

“There are elements of this that leave me cautious,” Colr. Boyle said. “Because we have to learn from the lessons of last summer.

“Residents and other businesses in these sites need to understand exactly where it is they’re living or working and that we are keen to retain the event space there.”

An agent spokesperson said the site would not impact “the more significant” future events at Ebrington Square, and council staff are carrying out an “extensive consultation piece” to engage with tenants and “ensure we don’t have a repeat of what happened last Summer”.

They concluded: “I can assure you those conversations have been ongoing for several months now.”

More on Page 8.

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter