PRESS RELEASE

City concern grows over lack of Government action

02nd October

Representatives of the city’s Civic Regeneration Forum (CRF) have expressed deep concern about central government departments lack of commitment to effect real and meaningful change to their plans for Derry and the North West. To try and break the deadlock an invitation to meet the Civic Regeneration Forum has been issued to the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service along with senior civil servants from the relevant government departments.

Speaking after today’s meeting of the CRF, Mayor Cllr Shaun Gallagher expressed his deep anger at the lack of government movement in addressing the level of intervention required for the city. He said,

“It has been six months since our initial meeting with Minister Pearson and although it was positive we have witnessed no real change to government plans that signal support for making Derry and the North West a priority area for investment. The CRF is calling for a co-ordinated inter-departmental response and have requested that a senior civil servant team meet with the CRF to consider solutions that will address their lack of activity and which signal a commitment to addressing the much needed intervention in investment and jobs that are essential for the city”.

Representatives from the CRF believe its joined-up approach in the city can be mirrored by government and are disappointed by inaction and lack of progress. Over the past six months the CRF has worked to bring a cohesive and cross-sector acceptance of the intervention required to meet economic and social challenges facing the city. It has called for the city and region to be identified as a priority area of economic need and has supported the development of an integrated development plan.

Niall Birthistle President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce says that the blatant lack of commitment in the Department of Regional Development’s Transportation Plan and inertia surrounding other funding issues, is a sign that central government have no significant investment or jobs planned for the city. He said,

“There is a high level of frustration and it is felt that the executive team in Belfast has fallen short in delivering our expectations for economic growth for the city. Their lack of action is against an accelerated need to identify investment and jobs for the region. We will not have our expectations lowered by the government’s inability to get its act together. We have gone to great lengths to work with government departments and to help them overcome any funding issues they may face for the North West. We are looking for champions at government level and to date their support has been sadly lacking”.

Ends

Notes: The Civic Regeneration Forum draws it membership from local elected representatives, MLA’s MP, MEP, the Chamber of Commerce, University of Ulster and the NWIFHE, Local Strategy Partnership, ILEX and the North West Region Cross Border Group

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