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Fresh fears for historic building after roof collapse

PSNI A street photo showing a row of terraced Georgian-style buildings. A pile of bricks lie on the pavement below the building in the middle of the photo. Cars are parked on either side of the bricks.PSNI
The damaged Georgian building on Pump Street dates back to the 19th Century

There are fresh fears for a storm-damaged historic building in Londonderry city centre after part of its roof collapsed and engineers warned that the rest "will fall at any time".

The Georgian listed building on Pump Street, which dates back to the 1800s and was once a Sisters of Mercy convent, was damaged in Storm Amy in October 2025.

The road was then closed off with barriers and several large shipping containers have remained outside the building as a safety measure.

BBC News NI has contacted the Martin Property Group, who own the property and who have applied for planning permission to demolish and reconstruct part of it.

Large shipping containers stand upright in a narrow pedestrianised street. Shops line both sides of the street. A number of crash barriers are in front of the container.
The street has been partially closed since last October

However, no demolition work at 16 Pump Street can begin until listed building consent is granted by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

There is currently no time frame for when that decision will be made, or when the large shipping containers blocking part of Pump Street will be removed.

Business owners have previously spoken out about the impact the partial closure of the street has had on footfall and trade.

People Before Profit (PBP) councillor Shaun Harkin told a council meeting on Tuesday that he fears the street could remain closed to traffic for a long time yet.

He said the shipping containers remain there because there is a "concern the building could collapse".

"There is a statutory responsibility on the council to ensure public safety is a priority," he said.

Shows a man with dark hair, a black t-shirt and black jacket, standing to the left of a red-brick building
People Before Profit (PBP) councillor Shaun Harkin told a council meeting on Tuesday he is concerned Pump Street could be closed for a long time yet

Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme on Wednesday, Harkin said a council report showed that the building "was not properly secured going back to a report in 2018 and 2019 and that that may have contributed to the building's collapse, which is very, very disappointing".

"Obviously, this has been a year now of Pump Street being closed down and there has been further deterioration with the building.

"There is a tremendous amount of frustration and anger that we have a city centre street that is still closed down, and it will be a full year come the beginning of October.

"Even if work was to start next month, the street will probably be closed for quite a while longer and there is no guarantee of immediate movement."

Harkin said nobody from the council could give a date for the street reopening, or when the works will begin or end at the former convent.

He said councillors had to keep an "ongoing spotlight on this" to ensure that there is movement and the street can reopen fully in the not so distant future.

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