Craft Village makeover

The Craft Village is a popular haunt for tourists and locals alike offering a welcome respite from the bustle of Londonderry city centre’s main shopping district.

A number of craft shops, balconied apartments, a licensed restaurant, bar and coffee shop are amongst the attractions of the village onto which the Tower Museum backs.

Now the attraction - officially opened by the President of the Irish Republic Mary Robinson in 1992 - looks set to be augmented with a number of new features including a series of false shop fronts and new access entrances.

A number of separate planning applications have been lodged with the divisional Planning Office outlining the plans.

There are to be alteration, extension and demolition works carried out to a ground floor property in Magazine Street in order to provide open plan office space and new pedestrian access to the village.

The same property will see the second and third floor changed from office accommodation to three one bedroom flats with vertical banner signs indicating the entrance to the Craft Village.

Additionally, it is proposed to construct a high level glazed canopy over existing entrances and to implement some hard landscaping to the inner courtyard.

This will include the addition of “falso shop fronts” to the rear of a property in Castle Street. Screen walls and cosmetic works to existing entrances are also planned and the existing lower Shipquay Street entrance is to be closed to the public.

The planning applications have been lodged with the local Planning Office and await approval.