Community Consultatation Covered Sport and recreational Air Dome

Teaching over 5,300 students in the last academic year, the Ulster University Derry~ Londonderry campus is home to over 120 programmes including Sport, Physical Activity and Health, with more being added annually. This year, the University was ranked top 10 in the UK for five of the courses taught in Derry~Londonderry (Speech and Language Therapy, Information Systems and Management, Radiography, Physiotherapy and Health Studies), and the institution was named University of the Year by Times Higher Education.

Ulster University has welcomed the approval of a funding bid to establish a 15,000m² indoor sports and leisure arena on Derry~Londonderry’s Northland Road, close to campus.

A first-of-its-scale facility for Northern Ireland, the Ulster University Dome will transform the old Foyle College site in the city into a shared sporting space equipped with full-size pitches suitable for soccer, Gaelic games and rugby as well as other sports, and community events.

With an external perimeter and recreational trail, the dome will be connected to the Ulster University Derry~Londonderry campus and carparking facilities, becoming a hub for community events in the city.

The €10.86m investment through PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), will be match funded by Ulster University to deliver a significant enhancement to its student and community facilities in the Northwest.

An in-person drop-in event will be held in Minor Hall, Ulster University Campus, Derry / Londonderry on Tuesday 11th March 2025 2:00pm – 7:00pm to allow interested parties to view the display boards for the proposal and provide feedback via printed comment cards.

Members of the consultation team will attend these events to answer any questions that local residents may have, and to collect feedback on the proposal.

The proposed site is located within the settlement development limits of Derry~ Londonderry City, situated on existing playing fields along Northland Road, approximately 250 metres north of St. Mary’s College (BT48 0AN).

The site fronts onto Northland Road and comprises a roughly rectangular plot extending to approximately 7.76 hectares.

Currently, the site consists of disused playing fields, enclosed by trees, hedgerows, and green paladin fencing to the south, while galvanised palisade fencing marks the northern boundary.

Strategically positioned along Northland Road (B507), the site lies 2.3 miles from Derry ~ Londonderry city centre and is located less than a mile from Ulster University Derry~Londonderry campus and is adjacent to a mix of residential, educational, and industrial uses including Pennyburn Industrial Estate and the Ardnashee School and College opposite the site.

The site benefits from excellent transport links.

Frequent bus services operate along Northland Road, with the nearest bus stop located approximately 100 metres from the site, served by Foyle Metro routes 10a, 11b, and 11c, providing direct connections to the city centre and Foyle Street Bus Station.

• A new priority access is proposed on Northland Road to serve the development including a right-turn ghost-island. The access arrangement has been designed in accordance with current design standards.
• A separate service vehicle access is proposed off Northland Road to allow grass cutting/maintenance vehicles to access the site without interaction with users of the site. On match/event days this access, and set down area located off it, will facilitate ambulances. This arrangement will ensure such vehicles can enter and exit the site without interaction with other vehicles and pedestrians within the site.
• The footways along the development frontage on Northland Road and the internal access road within the site have a proposed width of 3 metres, providing a shared facility for pedestrians and cyclists.
• The proposed internal access road and car parking area has been positioned within the development site, to be located as far as possible from adjacent residential units to protect residential amenity.
• The level of car parking provision proposed is in line with the current Parking Standards for the type and size of development proposed and is intended to accommodate all vehicles anticipated.
• Bus/coach parking is proposed in a separate area within the site with a set- down and pick-up facility and turning head provided. The proposals will ensure buses/coaches can enter and exit the site as safely as possible i.e. no need to reverse, and minimised interactions with cars and pedestrians within the site.
• The development site’s use to accommodate events will be managed through an Event Management Plan.

This consultation does not relate to a planning application, comments should not be made to Derry City & Strabane District Council at this time. Any comments made to the prospective applicant are not representations to the planning authority.

Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) Report

Your comments will be reviewed by the design team and integrated into a Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) Report.

This report will set out what pre application community consultation has taken place in line with the statutory, legislative requirements, and how the feedback received has informed the final proposals.

Planning application

The PACC report will be submitted as part of any subsequent Planning Application to Derry City and Strabane District Council, following the statutory 12-week consultation period.

The Council will then advertise the planning application in at least one local newspaper and will notify people who occupy buildings on land adjoining the application site boundary.

NI Planning Portal Public Access Website

Once submitted, the application and all associated supporting information will be available to view on the NI Planning Portal Public Access Website where there will be a further opportunity for you to provide commentary on the proposal.