Objections to £20m Arntz redevelopment plans

Signifacant opposition has emerged over a £20m plan to redevelop the former Arntz Belting site in Derry, it can be revealed.

The owners of the 14-acre site at Pennyburn (pictured) want to build a supermarket, retail units, filling station, medical centre and a restaurant on the land.

A planning application for the major development is currently being considered by Derry City and Strabane District Council’s planning department.

Last month, representatives of the company behind the development plans told a meeting of the local council that £3m had already been spent on the proposals which they believe have the potential to create almost 400 jobs.

However, the Derry News reports that a large number of local residents and prominent business organisations have contacted the local council to highlight their opposition to the project.

Among those against it are the City Centre Initiative in Derry and the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA).

Engineering firm Arntz Belting Company closed down its Derry factory in 2010.

Since then, the large site at Pennyburn Pass was been lain unused.

The redevelopment plans for the site were submitted by Arntz Belting, who still own the land, to the local council at the end of last year.

On July 8 last, Robert Moore, Managing Director of Arntz Belting, spoke about the project at a meeting of the council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee.

He said the company wanted to leave a legacy to city as mark of their gratitude for the many years it had been based in Derry.

He said the money needed to develop the site was in place once planning permission was forthcoming.

However, just days before Mr Moore’s presentation, the City Centre Initiative had submitted a letter of opposition over the plans.

In the letter, City Centre Manager, Jim Roddy, said the Artnz redevelopment plans would ‘undermine the strength’ of the city centre.

“As there are high levels of vacancy within the city centre, it is of upmost importance to protect, support and encourage investment into the core retail area.

“A further consideration and concern is the number of similar retail developments which have been granted planning permission recently, and also those of which decisions are currently pending such as the proposed development at Caw.

“If all these proposals were to come to fruition it would have a major adverse impact on our city centre.”

In his letter of opposition, Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA Chief Executive, said the organisation would ‘most strenuously object’ to the construction of a large foodstore on the Artnz site.

Local businessmen, Patrick Shortall and Brendan Duddy, have also submitted letters of opposition to the Artnz plans.

A number of people living close to the site have also submitted letters of objections over the new development plans.