Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee has approved a programme of greenway improvements along the riverside at the Foyle Valley Railway site.

Full planning permission for the works, which will see the installation of 50 lighting columns and the resurfacing of the existing footpath, were given the go-ahead at a recent council meeting. The project is designed to improve accessibility and safety for the many people who use the route.

Chair of the Planning Committee, Cllr John Boyle, welcomed the improvements: "The greenway 'Out the Line' as it’s known, is one of the most popular and scenic routes for local people, and these improvements will make a huge difference for visitors. Additional lighting will open up and rejuvenate the area and mean more people can use the greenway in the evenings.

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"We are extremely lucky to have such an extensive greenway network promoting active travel and providing numerous other health benefits, which will also see a boost from this programme of work."

The greenway follows the route of the former Derry-Portadown Great Northern Railway line out towards the border, and the six-metre high columns with LED lights, will be interspersed at 30m distances fronting both the River Foyle and the northern boundary.

The existing landscaping within the site boundaries will be retained and will aid integration and provide natural screening. The existing greenway path will be resurfaced and extended to be three metre wide in sections making it even more accessible for users. Further alterations such as replacement railings on sections of the river wall and on the pedestrian feature bridge are also proposed, as is the resurfacing of the existing drainage channel along the river wall.