Legal battle over £6.4m repair bill for Derry car park

A legal battle is under way after Derry City and Strabane Council was left with a £6.4m for repairs at a city centre car park which poses a safety risk.

In March last year it was revealed Queen’s Quay riverside car park (pictured) was of ‘questionable structural integrity’.

It now has emerged has the local council has initiated legal action over the matter, as it does not have the money to carry out the repairs.

The car park is one of 14 off street car parks in Derry and Strabane that came under the control of the new Derry and Strabane ‘super council’ when it came into power.

The car parks were previously operated by the Department of Regional Development (DRD).

However, it emerged the Queen’s Quay car park posed a ‘significant potential liability’ to the council should it take on ownership, due to riverside car park being of ‘questionable structural integrity’.

A report presented to the council stated that the car park was situated on ‘an eroding structure as opposed to solid ground’ and at some stage will require significant expenditure.

Concerns were also raised at the time that the safety of car park users was being placed ‘at risk’.

The council said at the time that it would write to the then Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy, advising that council will not be accepting the transfer of Queens Quay car park accepting the Queens Quay car park until their concerns over the site were ‘satisfactorily’ addressed.

A spokesperson for the council said it had taken legal action over the matter.

“Queen’s Quay car park transferred from DRD to Council on 1st April 2015 at which time Council were provided with a due diligence report highlighting a potential repair liability in the sum of £6.4m,” the spokesperson said.

“A letter was sent to the Minister advising of Council’s concern and in particular that Council does not have the financial resources to fund this potential liability.

“Judicial review proceedings were subsequently instigated and this process is currently ongoing.”