Brakes temporarily put on plans for a multi-million cycle route from Derry to Muff
Councillors defer decision on planning permission to look at concerns of local residents
Derry City and Strabane District Council's Planning Committee met yesterday to make a final decision on planning permission for the proposal to construct the cycle path from the entrance of the Foyle Hospice all the way down to Muff village.
Local planning officers had recommended that the application be approved.
Given that the local council is the lead organisation behind the cycle path, it had been expected that planning permission would be granted at yesterday's meeting.
However, a number of people who live along the route of the proposed cycle path spoke at the meeting to highlight concerns that they have with the present plans.
After discussing the issues involved, members of the committee agreed to defer their final decision until councillors can take part in a site visit to the area to look at the issues raised by the local residents.
However, some councillors questioned whether any delay to the project would affect funding that had been secured for the creation of the cycle route.
In response, Sinn Fein councillor Christopher Jackson, chair of the Planning Committee, said he was also concerned about the delay 'drifting on'.
However, he said that it was his understanding that deferring the final decision on planning permission would not 'immediately' put any of the funding at risk.
Cllr Jackson said it was important that the site visit was organised 'as soon as possible'.
The proposal to defer the decision on planning permission in order to organise the site visit was put forward by SDLP councillor Angela Dobbins.
It was seconded by Alliance councillor Philip McKinney.
The council's senior solicitor Philip Kingston said that given the current restrictions in place it may be the summer before a site visit could be organised.
However, SDLP councillor John Boyle said that because the visit would be outside, those taking part would be able to socially distance from each other.
The plans for the Derry to Muff greenway, which is a joint project between Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council, have been in the pipeline since 2015.
It is part-funded by the European Union along with contributions from the governments on both sides of the border.