Hundreds attend consultation events for Derry-Muff greenway

Culmore residents view the NW Greenway plans at Hollybush PS.

Local residents, school children, walking groups, cycling clubs and political representatives turned out to provide feedback on a number of route corridor options presented to develop a cross-border greenway link from Derry to Muff.

Derry City and Strabane District Council, Donegal County Council, along with partners the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and SustransNI, say they are delighted with the public’s response.

Jonathan Henderson, Programme Manager for the project, said: “The turnout was tremendous and, on the whole, feedback received was very positive. Hosting the first event in Hollybush primary school allowed children and parents alike to view the proposals and being next door to Scoil Naomh Brid in Muff also saw 5th and 6th class students visiting to have their say, too.”

The public have until June 15 to submit feedback on corridor options. Following this, the preferred route corridor for Derry-Muff will be published by Autumn 2018 for the public to consider. The report on the preferred route will include an ‘Assessment Matrix’ showing how the preferred route will be selected.

The Muff to Derry section is known as ‘Route 2’ and is one of three routes being developed as part of the North West Greenway Network. On completion, the three routes will deliver 46.5 km of new cross-border greenway that will help reduce carbon emissions by encouraging commuters to leave their cars at home.

Route 1 links Derry, via Pennyburn and the Bridgend border crossing, to Buncrana/Letterkenny via Tooban junction while Route 3 focuses on Strabane to Lifford via Lifford Bridge.

The c.€18 million project is part-funded under the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

For those who were unable to attend the public consultation events last week, the feedback form and Route 1 Constraints Study and Route Options Report are both available to download from www.nwgreenway.com. Alternatively email: [email protected] or find us on Twitter @nwgreenway and Facebook @nwgreenway.