There was good news this week for the long awaited Strabane-Lifford Riverine Park Project.
Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) granted planning permission for the Strabane section of the project.
The multi-million euro scheme will link the cross-border towns with a new pedestrian and cycle bridge, along with community parkland.
The initiative hit a major snag last year when funding under the EU’s Peace Programme was lost when a foreshore licence couldn’t be secured on the Lifford side on time due to delays with An Bord Pleanala (ABP).
However, ABP approval has since been secured which means all planning consents are now in place for the project.
A significant application for EU funding is pending a decision, with an anticipated announcement due later this spring.
Chair of DCSDC‘s Planning Committee, Councillor Sean Mooney, welcomed the approval.
“This is positive news for the people of Strabane and Lifford that this key element of the ambitious Riverine project has received full planning permission,” he said.
“The long awaited Riverine Community Park Project aims to regenerate this border riverside area to create a cross-border community park straddling the River Foyle and deliver much needed parkland space in the area.
“The completed project will be a shared space to bring communities together from both sides of the border, to re-connect and to form new connections and relationships.”
Members heard that the walkways and greenways will be linked to the Lifford side via a footbridge and its design is reflective of a historic railway bridge further along the River Foyle to create a sense of place.
Full details of the Riverine Project can be accessed at www.derrystrabane.com/subsites/riverine-community-park