The deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness and the Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood today launched the draft Regeneration Plan for Derry~Londonderry. Resulting from a unique process involving the private, public and community & voluntary sectors over the last 18 months, the draft Regeneration Plan will now undergo widespread public consultation for a 12-week period.
Speaking at the launch the Mayor, Cllr Colum Eastwood outlined the importance of the draft Regeneration Plan: “This is our opportunity to shape the city’s future through a robust series of interventions that will help everyone realise their potential. We aim to grow the local economy by improving health, education, communities and employment while improving our quality of life. The Strategy Board has already shown how it can do business through partnership and move forward with a strong single plan that will shape the interventions this city needs to move forward”.
Chairman of Ilex, Sir Roy McNulty said: “This is a very important day for Derry~Londonderry. Ultimately, the Regeneration Plan has the potential to impact on every one of our lives and to change the look and feel of the city for years to come. We recognise that we face challenges but we also have many opportunities to transform our city. This draft Plan provides the framework, the roadmap that can allow us meet those challenges, and achieve our vision of a competitive, creative, connected and caring city. The prize is truly great. By 2020 we could see 12,500 net additional jobs and £464m additional wages and profits in the economy.
Unity on the way forward is critical to success. Today marks the beginning of a 12-week public consultation with the people of the city and region. We want everyone to let us know what they think, so we have produced four versions of the draft Regeneration Plan - the official document which we are launching today, a brochure which will be mailed to every household, a version for young people up to 18 years of age, and a version for children up to eleven. Children and young people are the future and their voice is particularly important.
Over the next three months we’re holding a series of public meetings, community meetings, and focus groups. We’re also organising information stands in shopping centres, and distributing information in shops, supermarkets and cafes. And anyone who would like to register their views or discuss the Plan can call in to the City of Culture office at Waterloo Place. We need as many people as possible to let us know what they think, this is an opportunity to help shape the city’s future”.
Copies of the full draft plan (150 pages) are downloadable from www.ilex-urc.com.
The public consultation process ends on December 9th 2010.
ENDS
For further information contact Mo Durkan, Ilex - 028 7126 9226 or 07917 544297. Press release and bridge images are downloadable on www.ilex-urc.com