Other News In Brief

Plans For Boutique Hotel In L'Derry Approved

Plans for a new boutique hotel in L'Derry have been given the go-ahead.

Derry City and Strabane District Council gave full planning permission and Listed Building Consent to refurbish and extend buildings in the city centre.

The application is for the refurbishment and extension of the buildings at 1-4 Shipquay Place and 7-17 Foyle Street, however not including the corner buildings of the Gainsborough Bar or the former Madden's tobacconist buildings.

The 24 bedroom boutique hotel also includes a bar/restaurant area and an Italian restaurant.

Chief Executive John Kelpie said: "This proposal is an important development that will enhance regenerate a listed building that forms part of a key cluster of landmark buildings and spaces that are significant to the special built heritage in our town centre."

Man Fined For Waste Offences

A man has been fined for waste offences at Londonderry Magistrates Court.

William Brian O'Donnell was today fined £3,000 and compensation costs of £4,368 for breaches of waste management legislation.

Officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency visited the site at Craigbrack Road, Eglinton on numerous occasions between September 2013 and March 2015, where they found quantities of construction and demolition waste deposited and stored on site. Mr O’Donnell did not hold the relevant waste management licence or an exemption to deposit or store waste at this location.

Farmer Fined For Pollution Offence

A farmer has been fined £500 for a pollution offence at Lisburn Magistrates' Court.

Robert Poots was fined for making a polluting discharge to a waterway.

On 18 December 2014, a Water Quality Inspector (WQI), acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) inspected a waterway on the farm and observed it was badly polluted.

The pollution was caused by silage effluent from the silage clamp on the farm seeping and entering the waterway causing it to be polluted for a distance of approximately 900 metres.

A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving waterway.

(CD)