Major expansion of Londonderry city's Waterside district mooted as developer eyes blueprints for 690 new homes

If granted, the development – in an area known as Ballyoan – would amount to a significant expansion of the city in a north-easterly direction.

According to an Ulster Unionist councillor, it could help relieve housing pressure in the Waterside, particularly for Protestant residents who have been reluctant to move to new developments in the Catholic-dominated Cityside.

The document which has been lodged is known as a PAN - a proposal of application notice.

This is like a forewarning given by a developer about a coming large-scale planning application.

It sets out the development as follows:

"Proposed residential development of c.690 dwellings including a mix of detached, semi-detached, apartments and bungalows; public open space including landscaping; new equipped children's play area; bus route; SuDS Pond; [often like a small lake used as a kind of overflow in times of heavy rain], and all associated site and access works."

The PAN was given the okay on May 30, and the document was discovered this week by chance by the News Letter; it has seemingly attracted little attention.

The area has long been earmarked for development, and this PAN represents the applicants’ latest statement of intent about how they plan to proceed.

Alderman Darren Guy, a councillor for the UUP in the Waterside, said that the development is right on that district's edge and, once built, is likely to be incorporated into the Waterside itself.

He voiced concern about the increased volume of traffic the development could herald, especially at the Caw Roundabout - something which threatens to be "a nightmare" unless the developers deal with it early on.

He also said the handful of local schools, such as the controlled Lisneal College, are "probably maxed out" with pupils as it stands.

But he went on to say it would help to fulfil a pressing need for new dwellings.

"There's interest from people looking for housing in the Waterside area," he said, adding that he "has a full list of people waiting - and I'm sure every other councillor has as well".

"There's always a feeling in the Waterside that basically in our city most of the building has happened on the Cityside - which means a lot of people from unionist backgrounds won't go across and take a house in that area.

"It will be welcomed – but it's the infrastructure that is the big worry.

"The houses will take care of themselves, but the infrastructure badly needs sorting."

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