Last year her department launched a public consultation on the proposed £115m (€143m) development schemes for the Abbey Street and Mall car park sites in Coleraine town centre. The Minister said the response to that consultation was "very positive" and that the department has "been able to build on that support to make rapid progress towards the delivery of the two schemes".
Ms Ritchie said: "One of the key issues relating to these sites was the order in which they would be developed. After very carefully considering all the factors, I have decided that it would be in the best interests of Coleraine to develop the Lanes scheme on Abbey Street site first. This will allow us to deliver a major boost to the number of parking spaces in the town centre at an early date."
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The Minister's decision means that, subject to planning, work may start on the Abbey Street car park in August 2008. The construction work is expected to take 12 months to complete and it is estimated that the new multi-storey car park, with over 500 spaces, will open on the site in August 2009.
Work on the Ramparts scheme on the Mall car park will start when the multi-storey car park on Abbey Street opens to the public. Therefore, the current estimated start date is September 2009. The Ramparts is the largest single development ever planned for Coleraine town centre and it is expected to take two years to complete. The new shops in the scheme should be open for business before Christmas 2011.
Referring to the consultation process, Ms Ritchie said: "There is some concern locally that the two developments will generate traffic congestion in and around Coleraine town centre. To establish what impact the schemes will have and what might be done to resolve any problems, my Department is funding a traffic study. This will be completed during May and the results will be fed into the planning process."
(VB/JM)
