Department to consider controversial plans for former high school site

Mid Ulster District Council wants to turn the site into an industrial park for the benefit of the local community.

But the application has been strongly opposed by a group of townspeople who want the area preserved as a green space and park.

A spokesperson for Mid Ulster Council said: "Planning permission for the development of a business park in Maghera is to be determined by the Department for Infrastructure.

"Mid Ulster District Council, which owns the land and proposes to create up to seven serviced sites at the location of the town’s former high school, had granted outline permission in February 2020, subject to the Department’s consideration of the matter.

"The Department has confirmed to the Council that it will now make the determination in line with the provisions of The Planning General Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 as it is the intention of the Council to determine its own application for land to be developed commercially by others.

"The plans propose the creation of up to seven serviced sites, with qualifying businesses constructing their own purpose-built facilities ranging in size from 4,000sqft to 20,000sqft.

"The land on the Tobermore Road has been earmarked as a site to address a gap in the availability of land locally for light industrial use and to meet an identified demand from local businesses.

"The Council’s Planning Committee had agreed back in February to approve the application, subject to a series of conditions intended to protect the area’s natural heritage and address other issues including roads infrastructure, drainage and flooding.

"In line with planning legislation, the outcome of the Planning Committee’s determination at that time was notified to the Department for Infrastructure for its consideration."

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