Northern Ireland Planning Service

Northern Area Plan 2016
Limavady Borough: Limavady Town Centre

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The Plan seeks to promote a vibrant town centre that will function more effectively as a focus for the local community, but also provide a positive experience for visitors. The town centre has potential to enhance its role further, if significant investment can be attracted. The retail household survey of summer 2003 indicated that the town is performing weakly as a local retail centre, and is retaining less than 50% of the retail expenditure from the Borough as a whole. Its vitality and viability is therefore vulnerable to external competition, including that from suburban retail development.
Designation LYT 01: Limavady Town Centre
A Town Centre is designated as identified on Map No. 4/01 b - Limavady Town Centre.
A town centre is defined within which all retail development will normally be required to locate (see Policy RSO 2). The town centre includes a number of development opportunities including gap sites and properties requiring redevelopment or major refurbishment to bring them back into beneficial use.

Development Opportunity Sites

The Plan also identifies the following major development opportunities. Proposals will be assessed against Policy SET 3: Proposals on Development Opportunity Zonings, in Volume 1 of the Plan.
Designation LYT 02: The Market Yard, Development Opportunity (1.34 ha.)
Key site requirements:
  • The development of this site will only be considered in the context of an appropriate overall design concept to ensure satisfactory integration into the urban fabric of the town centre. An acceptable Transport Assessment will also be required.
  • The Concept Statement should include reference to the proposed Area of Townscape Character in Main Street adjacent to the site, and the related design policies, and indicate how this has influenced the proposed scheme design.
  • This site is suitable for either a single or mixed-use development incorporating retail, housing, community, office or recreational uses.
  • Vehicular and pedestrian access to or from this site shall be to or from Catherine Street, Linenhall Street and Main Street.The developer is advised to liaise with Roads Service and Planning Service regarding this key site requirement prior to the formulation of a Concept Master Plan for the comprehensive development of the site.
  • The elevations of any development to the north and west of the site overlooking the River Roe floodplain shall respect the setting of Limavady with regard to scale, height, massing, materials and design. A high standard of urban design will be required. Excessively long, continuous elevations of uniform height, which create a strong ‘barrier effect’ on the urban edge, will not be acceptable.
  • Existing slopes and levels shall also be respected. Development will not be permitted to extend on to the steep slope adjacent to the river, where a planting scheme using native species trees shall be carried out as part of any proposed development.
  • Due care and consideration shall also be given to the treatment of elevations adjoining Catherine Street and Linenhall Street. Any buildings fronting these streets shall not be less than two storeys or more than three storeys in height and shall have regard for their townscape context in terms of scale, design and choice of materials.
Designation LYT 03: The Town Hall, Development Opportunity (0.26 ha.)
Key site requirements:
  • This site is suitable for a range of uses including civic, community, retail, residential and offices.
  • Access shall be from Main Street.
  • As the site is located within a proposed Area of Townscape Character, all proposals shall be of a scale and character that reflects the site's townscape setting in terms of height, scale, proportion, choice of materials, and architectural detail.
  • Any future proposal should consider the option of retaining at least the façade of the Alexander Memorial Hall.
In addition to the major development opportunities, the Plan designates a number of Target Sites. These are smaller individual properties where major refurbishment or redevelopment will be acceptable provided the scale, height, design and finishes of any proposal will make a positive contribution to the townscape.
Designation LYT 04: Area of Townscape Character Main Street, Limavady
An Area of Townscape Character is designated as identified on Map No. 4/01 b – Limavady Town Centre Area of Townscape Character.
Key features of the area will be taken into account when assessing development proposals are as follows:
  • The mixture of terraced houses but mostly business premises along both sides of Main Street and which are either two or three storeys in height with uniform eaves line within the terrace;
  • The two storey terrace red brick houses in Linenhall Street;
  • The quality of the Listed Buildings within the ATC which contribute to the area’s character and which sets the context for existing unlisted or proposed new buildings;
  • The largely intact vernacular architectural style of the terraced properties with their high degree of uniformity along both Main Street and Linenhall Street;
  • The brick buildings confined to the western end of Main Street and the predominance of smooth and painted rendered buildings with plain facades without any embellishment in the remainder of the area;
  • The strong vertical emphasis to the fenestration on the upper floor elevations and the pitched, mainly slated, including natural slated roofs with relatively little variation in the eaves line/ridge height of the buildings in their quite separate two and three storey settings;
  • The largely uniform angle of roof pitch, ridge height, alignment and eaves detail in each terrace;
  • The rhythm of the chimney stacks and ornamental pots on both residential and non residential buildings;
  • The vertical emphasis provided by the upper floor windows with their traditional sliding sash window proportions and prevalence of either small-pane Georgian-style glazing, or two and four pane sash-type windows with mid height transom;
  • The deep [two courses] window sills with a traditional profile, especially in respect of the leading edge;
  • The significant number of fine Georgian doorways with flanking columns and ornate fanlights in Main Street;
  • The prevalence of traditional wooden painted panelled doors with bolection moulding and without large expanses of glass or internal fanlights and avoiding the use of stains or varnish;
  • The predominance of round-section cast iron or aluminium downpipes and gutters;
  • When used, the traditional roof lights or ‘Conservation-type’ roof lights, especially to the front elevation;
  • The surviving traditional shop fronts with fascia signage respecting and reflecting the Georgian or Victorian character of the parent building in its context within the Main Street setting;
  • The prevalence of non-amalgamated shop fronts reflecting the width of the original unit building, framed by masonry piers or heavy timber mullions and avoiding large expanses of glass and long unbroken fascias;
  • The prevalence of traditionally-scaled shop advertising fascias with clearly identifiable upper edges [cornice-type], framed by pilaster columns to support the fascia, proportionate to the width of the shop front and not occupying the total space between the top of the display window and the underside of the first floor windowsills;
  • The prevalence of stall-riser detailing of not less than 300mm high below the shop window and the display window and door frames set back from the face of the building to create a reveal;
  • The prevalence of painted timber in shopfronts which relates closely to the largely Victorian period of the parent building with either render and painted wall surrounds or other material such as polished marble, granite, or reconstituted stone, and
  • The significant and continuing use of traditional signage restricted to the defined fascia area above the shop front on business premises and including sign writing and the use of individually mounted lettering.
The relationship between the built and the natural environment in and around the centre of Limavady has created a unique town environment. The town centre of Limavady has been designated an Area of Townscape Character to protect and enhance the character of this area. Within the historic core of Limavady a careful townscape appraisal justifies this proposal, extending along the greater part of Main Street from The Lodge at the western end to Christ Church close to the eastern end. Most of the northern side of Main Street and part of the southern side is included within the ATC. Not only does Main Street retain the scale and alignment of the original Plantation settlement, but it includes many of the Georgian buildings dating from the early part of the nineteenth century. The handsome Victorian terrace in Linenhall Street is also included within the ATC.
Future development proposals will have close regard to the key features of the area, whether they involve new build, infill, redevelopment or alterations to existing buildings. These development proposals will respect and enhance the established townscape character of the centre of Limavady. The Department is not opposed to modern design provided it is of high quality, respects the wider townscape context, and conforms to the policy as set down. Policy for the control of development within Areas of Townscape and Village Character is contained in Policy ENV 6 in Part 2, Volume 1 of the Plan.
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