ILEX to ‘watch and learn’ as 10k descend on Ebrington for Pixie and Imelda

ILEX has vowed to watch and learn during tomorrow’s Peace One Day concert in Ebrington to help ensure 50 planned events during Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 pass off without headache for the beleaguered residents of Browning Drive and Limavady Road.

Today the Sentinel can reveal that the regneration company’s Cultural Broker Caoimhín Corrigan has lined up to accompany fed-up residents around the former barracks during the Pixie Lott-headlined extravaganza to see first-hand what they have to put up with.

Ebrington is set to supersede Guildhall Square next year as Londonderry’s foremost civic playground but local people want assurances traffic, noise and access issues are sorted out now before wall-to-wall events take place during the city’s year in the cultural sun.

People living near the iconic new Peace Bridge - which will be sealed off for 24 hours from dawn tomorrow to facilitate the concert featuring Pixie Lott, Imelda May and The Guillemots - feel their concerns have not been sufficiently heard when it comes to traffic management and access to Ebrington.

ILEX is directly responsible for Ebrington although many of the events planned will be run by third party organisations such as the Londonderry Culture Company, which is organising tomorrow’s event specifically.

For its part the Culture Company said it has taken every effort to engage with local residents and ensure the Peace One Day concert causes as little disruption as possible.

Adrian McAuley of the Limavady Road Residents Group (LRRG) said people living in the area fully support the regeneration of the former military barracks and look forward to they many exciting events planned for next year but they also want city planners to take their concerns seriously.

He said Browning Drive residents have been effectively told they will have to park at St Columb’s Park and walk home once the number of concert goers gets substantial.

“We are broadly supportive of what is happening with the Ebrington site and fully support the regeneration of the area,” said Mr McAuley. “We have no great objections to events being staged on the site as there is a need for recreation and entertainment in the Waterside.”

But he added: “The problem is that ILEX is currently imposing these events on the host community and giving them absolutely no say or information about proposed events.

“They don’t believe they have a duty of care to the host community. The residents have provided feedback regarding traffic management and parking problems after each event but the lessons are not being learnt.

“The Limavady Road Residents Group provided detailed feedback about problems after the peace bridge opened, not only was it not acted on, it wasn’t even acknowledged.

“Residents know that with events comes some disruption, but the co-operation of Browning Drive residents in particular has never been acknowledged by ILEX.”

Local resident John Stewart said disruption experienced by people in Browning Drive is even worse on a normal sunny weekend.

He said this is because St Columb’s Road is generally locked down for the marquee events.

But this just pushes the problem into the wider Limavady Road area. Mr Stewart said more needs to be done to put a comprehensive plan in place to deal with the issue.

“We’re not against regeneration or events and the problem for us in Browning Drive has been half sorted for the big events because it’s generally closed down but it then spills over onto the Limavady Road. It’s actually worse on a normal sunny day,” said Mr Stewart.

He added: “Our experience is that the PSNI have been doing their best but I get the impression that the people on the ground aren’t even being given the right information about what’s going on.”

Mr McAuley concurred: “We have been trying to secure a way for residents to have meaningful dialogue with ILEX but it’s always us contacting them, never them contacting us.

“It seems to us that ILEX will run whatever event they want and the residents will just have to put up with it. None of the major events to date have been successful in terms of traffic management or parking yet ILEX are going to host 50 events next year.”

Responding to the residents’ concerns ILEX Director of Communications Mo Durkan said the company has always acknowledged a duty of care to its neighbours, the residents of Browning Drive, but also to the commercial and retail interests in the city and immediate area.

She said that whilst tomorrow’s event is being organised by Peace One Day, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Londonderry Culture Company, ILEX is keen to learn from the influx of 10k people into the area in order to ensure up to 50 similar events scheduled next year run smoothly.

Mrs Durkan told the Sentinel: “We have always said we have a duty of care to the residents. We don’t dispute that. This is all new. Everyone is learning.”

She said traffic management was an issue for the Derry City Council Safety Advisory Group (SAG) which has to make sure there are adequate provisions and facilities available for the health, safety and welfare of the public and participants at most public events.

Said Mrs Durkan: “In the run up to 2013 we need a traffic management system that meets the needs of the residents, retail and commercial. I am more than sympathetic to the residents. We are not taking this lightly.”

She said ILEX’s Cultural Broker Caoimhín Corrigan has offered to accompany residents around Ebrington and the surrounding area during tomorrow’s concert to witness any issues that need addressed.

Mrs Durkan also said residents were invited to a meeting in DUP MLA William Hay’s constituency office last Friday to air their views on traffic problems in the area.

But Mr McAuley asked: “Why will they not voluntarily work and listen to us? Willie Hay took time out of a busy schedule to represent the residents’ concerns to ILEX.

“ILEX agreed with Willie to communicate with residents for large events and share their traffic/parking plans. It shouldn’t take the intervention of an MLA to get agreement with your neighbour.

“We have had promises from ILEX before so we’ll wait and see. I would call on the Chief Executive of ILEX to publicly state if ILEX have a duty of care and to get hands on with this problem and bring it to a final satisfactory conclusion.”

Mrs Durkan said ILEX has always acknowledged a duty of care to residents.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Londonderry Culture Company said: “Every effort has been taken to engage with local residents and ensure the Peace One Day concert causes as little disruption as possible.

“Following advice from ILEX and the PSNI parking will be prohibited for at least 50 metres each side of St Columb’s Park Road on the Limavady Road.

“Additionally parking will be prohibited on one side of Deanfield and stewards will be in position on the day of the concert from 4pm.

“Information leaflets were distributed on June 19 and all the emergency services agreed on the rendezvous points.

“Maps of the entrances and parking restrictions were distributed to all members of Derry City Council’s Safety Advisory Group. These plans are not usually distributed to members of the public.”

The Company said advice from members of the SAG has been incorporated into the stewarding plan and that drawing on experience of the Olympic Torch parade earlier this month all stewards have been briefed and received advice from the PSNI.

“Everyone attending the event will have walked the full length of St Columb’s Road via the Limavady Road. Bins will be provided at each entrance and all bottles must be discarded before entry as indicated by stewards.

“Although there will be no park-and-ride of shuttle bus facility for the Peace One Day concert, plans are being developed to operate them for all major events during 2013,” said the spokesperson.

DUP MLA William Hay said: “In the round I’m supportive of the residents who want a proper consultancy mechanism to be in place so that their views are sought and taken account of from the very start.

“I believe there is an opportunity in 2012 to get this right and make sure no serious problems arise when it comes to noise and traffic. I do believe we are making some progress on this and that Derry City Council, ILEX and the Culture Company are working closely to make sure concerns are addressed now and in 2013.”

Mr Hay said he fully supported the residents of Browning Drive but stressed the problem stretched beyond the immediate Ebrington Barracks area.

“There are at least three homes of elderly residents along that stretch including Ard Cluan and Foyle Fold,” said Mr Hay. “If we’re talking about 15k extra people coming into this area we need to make sure that the people living here feel safe and that their views are taken on board.”

The PSNI have advised pedestrians the Peace Bridge in Londonderry will be closed between 6.30am on Thursday, June 21 and 6.30am on Friday, June 22 due to arrangements for the Peace One Day concert.

A spokesperson said: “The Peace Bridge will only open to concert ticket holders for access to the event from the city side at 5.30pm on Thursday, June 21.

“Please also advise motorists that traffic delays will be expected around the Ebrington Square site in the Waterside on Thursday, June 21 from 5.30pm.

“Those travelling to the concert by car are advised to use car parks in the city centre. St Columb’s Road and Browning Drive will be closed to traffic from 6.30am on Thursday, June 21 to 6.30am on Friday June 22.”