Almost 700 new homes - equivalent to an entire village - to be built in Londonderry's Waterside

Councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council’s planning committee have now unanimously approved the move for land directly off the A2 Clooney Road Gransha roundabout on the far north-eastern edge of the city.

The development is to be made up of 674 homes – 33 detached, 473 semi-detached, and 168 apartments.

To put that into some context, it will be the equivalent of adding an entire village-worth of homes to the city the size of Templepatrick in Co Antrim, Ardglass in Co Down, or Crossmaglen in Co Armagh.

The chairman of the committee, Sinn Fein councillor Fergal Leonard, said it is “a very welcome development for the city”.

"This development is also close to local amenities and is convenient to one of the main arterial routes to and from the city,” he said.

“The mix of houses and apartments offered in this development means they are suitable for a variety of people – from those who live alone, couples or larger families and I expect the units in the finished development to be in high demand.”

The homes will be built over the next eight-to-10 years.

The development includes a woodland walk, children’s play parks, and what the developers describe as “generous” areas of open space.

Jon Anderson, group director of development at Choice Housing Association, which is helping develop the site, said: “The social housing waiting list in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area has continued to grow in recent years, underlining the importance of significant projects like this getting planning approval.

"This decision today means that housing stress will be lifted from many families in the area in the coming years.

“We have also delivered hundreds of affordable homes as part of the first phase of this development and it is fantastic to see so many first-time buyers benefit from new quality homes that have come on the market.

“We are proud to be part of a solution that will support individuals and families in need, and with planning permission now secured for this wider scheme, we hope to move ahead with construction to provide much-needed housing as soon as possible.”