Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Probe into flooded car park
Stormont park & ride ‘unauthorised’
A STORMONT department is being investigated by a local authority over an unauthorised park and ride facility that flooded last month.
Derry City And Strabane Council said temporary planning permission for the Drumahoe site was expired when four cars washed into the nearby River Faughan.
The operators of the facilty, the Department For Infrastructure, had been given six months from July 6, 2015 to remove the car park and restore the playing fields that were there before. In a letter dated September 12, the council’s head planner Maura Fox said: “I can advise that the park and ride facility presently does not have the benefit of planning permission, and enforcement proceedings are ongoing.”
As well as cars being washed into the river – which is a special area of conservation – during heavy flooding on August 22, the park and ride suffered extensive damage. After the Mirror broke the story at the time, a DFI spokesman said: “In relation to planning permission, the department is currently in discussions with the council’s planning department.
“At the time of building, the level of the car park was raised to reduce potential impacts from flooding.
“However, the exceptional rainfall and unprecedented flows in watercourses in this area recently
COUNCIL HEAD PLANNER
resulted in a significantly larger flooded area than could have been reasonably foreseen.
“Work is under way to enable the car park to be reopened as soon as possible.
“The intention is that this temporary facility is maintained until a replacement facility is provided as part of the A6 dualling project.”
A council spokesman said: “Officials have been and continue to explore all options and legal powers available in relation to this matter and what action is appropriate in the public interest.”