Business

Planning approval for student accommodation in listed buildings inside Derry’s historic walls

Regeneration charity behind the Bishops Gate Hotel set to develop student apartments on Magazine Street

A blue door on an old building inside Derry's walls.
Derry's Inner City Trust has been given planning approval to redevelop listed buildings on Magazine Street into student accommodation.
By Ryan McAleer

Planning approval has been granted to develop student accommodation in listed buildings inside Derry’s historic walls.

Regeneration charity, the Inner City Trust, has been given the green light for the student units on Magazine Street, close to the Tower Museum.

The project, which will provide accommodation for 40 students, centres on listing buildings at 17-20 Magazine Street, overlooking ‘Hangman’s Bastion’ and ‘Coward’s Bastion’ on Derry’s famous walls.

Part of the building is currently occupied by the Foyle International English language school. The remainder is comprised of vacant offices.

A three storey office building behind Magazine Street is also part of the plans.

The Inner City Trust proposal includes four one bed apartments, two six bed apartments, four five bed apartments and a single student dwelling house with four beds.

Architectural drawings of the listed buildings on Magazine Street, set to be redeveloped. (Ryan)

Derry City and Strabane District Council officially granted planning permission for the project on Friday.

It comes just weeks after the Inner City Trust was awarded £170,000 from a new programme set up the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund to support the regeneration of disused heritage buildings.

The charity is behind a number of successful regeneration schemes in Derry, including Bishops Gate Hotel, the Tower Museum and the city’s Craft Village.

The Inner City Trust has once again turned to Mullarkey Pedersen to design the scheme.

The Derry and Dublin-based firm is responsible for a number of regeneration schemes in the city, including Bishops Gate Hotel, St Columb’s Cathedral and the Siege Museum.