Meeting proposed to assuage Waterside greenway concerns

A MEETING to assuage the concerns of riverside residents who fear a new Waterside cyclepath and walkway could facilitate anti-social behaviour and turn their streets into car parks is to be convened at the earliest opportunity.

DUP Alderman Joe Miller says residents of Browning Drive and Rose Bay are concerned the joint developers of a proposed new Waterside greenway - Derry City Council, Sustrans and Ilex - may be poised to allow access to the new cycle route through their streets.

Work is already underway on the route running rom the new Peace Bridge to the Foyle Bridge and it is expected it will be opened in 2011.

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But Mr Miller says residents have been told bollards will be placed at the entrance to Browning Drive and Rose Bay and that access will be allowed to the Greenway from these streets.

Notwithstanding this the residents are broadly supportive of the Greenway development, said Mr Miller. But they believe it may attract anti-social elements as well as clog their estates with cars as people use the area to park on their way to accessing it.

He commented: "I was at a meeting in Rose Bay over a year ago. And we were told there was not going to be any access.

"That seems to have changed and residents have now been told there are going to be bollards to allow people through. They have concerns about anti-social behaviour and people using the area as a car park."

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The DUP Alderman said he has spoken to Derry City Council, Sustrans and Ilex and is hoping to arrange a meeting between the developers and residents at the earliest opportunity. He said there was cross party support for the residents on the local council.

A spokesperson for Derry City Council explained that communication is ongoing between the residents and representatives from the relevant agencies and interested parties including Council, the Planning Service, Ilex and Sustrans.

It is planned to convene a meeting at the earliest opportunity between parties as part of the ongoing consultation process to address residents concerns.

Sustrans and Derry City Council say the new Greenway will connect people to the new bridge and the existing Foyle Bridge.

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The traffic-free walking and cycling greenway networks will stretch for over four kilometres and will link communities from either side

of the river over the new bridge to the bus station, city centre and the regeneration spaces at Ebrington and St Columb's Park in a way which is tranquil, direct and convenient, the developers say.

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