Demolition of old Thornhill College buildings earmarked for October

One of the buildings at the old Thornhill College site.

Towards the end of last year, Derry and Strabane Council’s planning committee unanimously approved planning permission for the construction of a 57-bed care home and 53 semi-independent living units at the riverfront site.

The former school buildings have been vacant since Thornhill transferred to a newly built facility opposite the site nearly 20 years ago.

The empty buildings have been a target for vandalism and anti-social behaviour in recent years.

It’s understood that, as well as the development of the care home and independent living units, a number of existing buildings will be retained as a community hub, a community services building and a site warden building.

Developers also intend siting an amenity/allotment area on the school’s former tennis courts with a formal landscape area on the Culmore Road side of the development.

This week, Urban Pulse - a Glasgow headquartered firm with a diverse property portfolio - was contacted by the ‘Journal’ for an update on the multi-million project project known as ‘The West Shore’.

A spokesperson said: “We are agreeing development funding terms with our partners as well as looking to appoint a contractor with a view to demolition of the existing structures c.October 2022.

“Marketing of the initial phase(s) will begin concurrently,” added the Urban Pulse representative.