Sainsbury's will meet deficiency in food retail offer

The statement argues the new retail store and petrol station will significantly improve choice and competition in the Waterside which "has experienced significant residential growth but to date been dominated by a single operator."

The developers GML/GSB and Sainsbury's believe the project will physically regenerate and visually enhance a "vacant and underutilised site" whilst creating circa 500 new full/part-time job opportunities for the local community plus construction related jobs.

The statement was recently submitted to local planners to accompany a planning application for the huge retail development.

It says the scheme will not prejudice the Londonderry area housing plan despite the site being zoned as housing land.

Oversupply of zoned housing land in the area and the recent collapse in the housing market led WDR & RT Taggart to conclude the loss of the site will not prejudice the Londonderry Area Plan's ability to meet its housing targets.

The document argues the store will represents an additional level of consumer choice and retail competition in the Waterside and that this will benefit residents of the area.

It also states: "It will not lead to a significant loss of investment in key existing centres including Londonderry City Centre or Lisnagelvin District Centre together with the Waterside area.

"Based on their existing health, attraction and vitality and viability the store is very unlikely to have an adverse impact on the function of existing centres.

"A key conclusion is that the store will not affect the function of Londonderry City Centre as its existing comparison/service function will be unaffected by this store. It will also not prevent planned improvements to Lisnagelvin."

The report also argues the environmental impact will be negligible although there will be some minor adverse effects due to noise, light pollution and dust, during the construction period. Equally, bats and nesting birds will be affected, though negligibly.

It states: "This Statement clearly illustrates that this site is of little if any value to the surrounding area. This urban site has been derelict for some years now and is in need of site specific development proposal.

"There are no issues related to this site that should cause statutory consultees any concern; if felt necessary minor concerns can be dealt with via planning conditions."

The development will also involve major improvements to the local road network including improvements to the Kilfennan Road site access roundabout; the Crescent Link/Kilfennan Link Road roundabout; and the introduction of signal control improvements to the existing Altnagelvin Roundabout junction.

A mini roundabout at the junction of Kilfennan Road and Summer Meadows Road will also be provided with the carriageway between the three junctions also due to be widened.