Suggested river crossing on collision course with historic site

The proposal is contained in Improved Roads Linking Around Londonderry - Review of the Strategic Roads Network, a Department of Regional Development (DRD) commissioned report published in February, which was produced by consultancy firm Scott Wilson.

It suggests a new crossing of the River Foyle south of Newbuildings and Londonderry to provide an effective alternative route for strategic traffic, particularly during periods when the Foyle Bridge is closed due to severe weather.

"Based on the information available at this stage, options for a low level viaduct structure to the south of New Buildings, which could involve multiple piers in the river, 45 metre spans and an overall length of 2.5 kilometres including approach roads, could be considered at this location," the report suggests.

But the point of crossing earmarked would require major road construction directly where Mullennan House - a privately-owned listed building - is situated.

Mullennan House is situated five miles south-west of Londonderry and was listed in 1979. It appears on a Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) register of parks and demesnes of historic interest that includes Boom Hall, Brooke Park, St Columb's Park and further afield Stormont Castle and Parliament Buildings.

Londonderry farmer Robert Moore is the current resident and his family have lived there for over 100 years.

He told the Sentinel the proposed crossing would cause major disruption and questioned the wisdom of a third road bridge in the first place.

"I would be very concerned if they were considering crossing there," he told the paper.

"It would have a pretty major impact. I've never heard of a proposal to bring it across there.

"I knew there were guys out doing surveys and things but I always thought the proposal was further down where the land was flatter.

"To me, that would be a more common sense approach and would probably be a lot cheaper to do.

"Where they have marked it on the map, they are rising very high from the river and they would be coming slap bang through the middle of this place. That would be horrendous."

He said the inevitable dual carriageway required to accommodate traffic crossing from the proposed A5 Western Transport Corridor would disrupt productive farming in the area and would plough straight through the important Foyle Valley "green belt."

"It's a pretty old area as you can tell by the age of the trees and most of these farms along here are pretty old. My next door neighbours, the Mackey's would be pretty old family as well," he said.

"It's a good area. It's a pretty productive farming area and it provides this green corridor and many people now use the cyclepath. The cycle path actually comes up the edge of one of my fields."

But most alarmingly of all perhaps would be the potential damage to an area considered by the NIEA a "demesne of special historic interest" and for good reason as Mr Moore explains.

"The main part of the house was originally built around about 1800. But the original house that this house replaced dates to way back since before the siege," he said.

"And supposedly King James came up from the south and there is a lot of wells in this area and he used it to water the horses and rest his men before they laid siege to the city and he apparently stayed in the house.

"And then I have friend who used to farm out the far side of Burnfoot. There's another big old house there called Birdstown House. "Apparently, the story was anyway, that James came here and stayed here, laid siege to the city, and then, when things were going bad, he took off, and he was supposedly in Birdstown house when the news was govern to him that the siege had been broken. So the old story goes," he added.

"Then he took off down south and Billy and his boys chased after him and we've been fighting about it ever since. So that's the story," he continued.

A spokesperson for the NIEA attested the historical value of the site saying: "Mullennan House is a fine mid 19th Century house built in the classical style and is complemented by fine gardens and outbuildings. The house and boundary wall were listed in March 1979 as grade B1."

And its register of parks and demesnes says "the mid-19th century house is on the site of an earlier house, with shelter belt trees and ornamental trees near the house, shrubberies and a pond."

It adds: "The walled garden is not cultivated. An iron-framed conservatory is built onto the back of the former Land Steward's house, the former facing the house. One of the two gate lodges survive, the later to be built, c1880."

The Sentinel asked DRD if it was confident the crossing would not clash with the building and if it had considered how the SusTrans cyclepath and a nearby 'Shoals' cross-community sculpture lining Newbuildings and the west bank would be affected.

A spokesperson replied: "Roads Service has produced a high level feasibility document for the roads to the southwest of the city. Considerable work still needs to be carried out before any detailed proposals will be considered."

Mr Moore also questioned the need for the link-up and noted the immense costs it would entail.

"You are talking about major works to build a bridge across one of the wider parts of the river and then you've got to build a dual carriageway the whole way around the back of the city. You are talking about major investment. And I don't know that there is really a need for it.

"I can understand them doing the A5. That badly needs to be done. But they are running into huge problems with that as well. Apart from the money, they are driving straight through the middle of certain farms and making them totally unviable.

"There is no point saying 'sure we are compensating you.' If you split the business in two, how do you work it? You just can't. It doesn't matter if they give you 100,000 an acre. It doesn't work."