A combination of housing, commerce and sports facilities are to be built as part of a major development in Lifford.
Upwards of 40 acres of land just off the main Letterkenny road close to the Applegreen service station have been ringfenced for the scheme.
An update on the plans is expected to be provided to members of the Lifford and Stranorlar Municipal District later this month.
The site has been in the ownership of Donegal County Council for over 20 years. A section of it was sold to O’Neill’s Sportswear following the Brexit referendum but according to Councillor Gerry Crawford other business tenants have come forward to express an interest in the planned development.
“This land was purchased in 2000 on a motion of mine and over the years it has been viewed as an asset, albeit an undeveloped asset,” he said.
After years of representations by elected members on both sides of the border progress on development appears to be gathering speed.
“To have such an asset was always viewed as a positive but now and with the times we are in, Donegal County Council has moved to develop a plan for the site.”
The hope is that the project will move to ‘Part 8’ planning shortly – Part 8 being the method local authorities use to apply for planning permission for significant developments.
“Part 8 would enable the council to develop the site for housing and for sporting facilities which would in turn facilitate the Riverine Project,” Councillor Crawford said.
“I know too that O’Neill’s has taken space there but I’m also aware of others who have given a firm expression of interest in Lifford.”
The proposal comes at a time of some progress for the border town.
Over the next few years the €9 million Riverine Project, creating multiple facilities linking Lifford with Strabane, will become a reality.
The town’s greyhound stadium will reopen in the coming weeks with the creation of dozens of jobs.
As recently as last week a tender was issued for a large social housing development on Lifford’s Gallows Lane while on the Main Street two key sites – the old Ritz Cinema and a neighbouring gambling arcade – are on course for redevelopment.
Elsewhere Donegal County Council has published plans for a greenway stretching from Lifford to Castlefinn.
Councillor Gerry Crawford says it is an important time in terms of Lifford and the wider border region’s future development.
“This is an important time for the area,” Councillor Crawford said.
“I think sometimes you can feel impatient for things to happen but if you take into account the flood mitigation measures, the Riverine Project, the fact the old army base has been brought back into use, it all points to very positive progress.
“You have too less well document developments such as the new sewage system. It might have been taken for granted but it wasn’t there before and it was extremely important.
“There are a lot of positives going on but I would also stress that we shouldn’t be blinded to the absolute necessity for all these things.
“It is good news and should be greeted as such but it won’t stop there. We should bear in mind that the hospital issue still hasn’t been resolved so there is still plenty of work to be done in terms of Lifford’s future development.”
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