12 three-storey apartments for the elderly approved at the corner of Malborough Street and Beechwood Avenue despite objections

A development of 12 three-storey apartments for the elderly in Derry has been approved despite 24 objections by local residents.

The application for the apartment complex on an existing vacant site at the corner of Marlborough Street and Beechwood Avenue was made by Clanmil Developments Ltd at a meeting last week of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee.

The proposed development consists of 12 apartments comprised of five two-bedroom apartments and seven one-bedroom apartments, housing a total 29 people.

There were 24 objections received in total during the processing of the application from 10 households, two of which were on Beechwood Avenue and eight on Marlborough Street.

One of the households is listed as the Marlborough Street Residents Association.

The residents objected on a number of grounds; the size and scale of the development, traffic issues, including parking and increase of traffic on the Marlborough Street and Beechwood Avenue roads and significant loss of light and a view.

The residents also cited flooding and subsidence issues and claimed they had raised issues with Clanmil Developments Ltd at public meetings that were not addressed in the drawings.

They also claimed the new build was not in keeping with the current density of housing.

Despite the objections, planning officers said that all requirements for the new build had been fulfilled and recommended the application be passed.

There was some discussion at the meeting, particularly about a perceived lack of parking spaces.

Clanmil Developments Ltd said that, as there were a number of on street parking spaces available as well as the new spaces they would be providing along with the new build, they had fulfilled the criteria for parking provision.

The representative also said that elderly resident developments tended not to require as many parking spaces as developments of other types.

However, Councillor Angela Dobbins, SDLP, said that she would have assumed that elderly residents would have more family visitors and possibly carers who would require parking spaces.

“Elderly citizens would tend to have more visitors than the younger generation and more visitors means more cars, needing more space than the average one car family,” she said.

“The elderly also may have carers that come by car. If you’re saying the elderly don’t need that many spaces, I’m sorry but I’m pulling you up on that.”

However, the Clanmil Developments Ltd representative said that adequate provisions had been made.

The application was proposed and seconded which mean permission for work to begin has been granted.