VIDEO - City delegation visit London to present City Deal proposal to Minister Javid

by Gráinne Connolly

A delegation from the North West, which included the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, the Council Chief Executive John Kelpie, Foyle MP Elisha McCallion and Lord William Hay met with Minister Sajid Javid in London yesterday to discuss a City deal for the city region.

A wide representation of city stakeholders were also part of the delegation including the Ulster University, the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and the North West Regional College. 

Describing the meeting as very positive, the Mayor said Minister Javid was very impressed with the work that has been done by the Council and its stakeholder partners on the City Deal proposal.

He commented: “It was a very productive and worthwhile meeting and a great opportunity for us to meet with the Minister directly to present our strong robust plans for a City Deal.

"Our presentation was very well received by the Minister and he took on board the benefits it would bring to the city and the wider City Region and promised to bring it to his Cabinet for further discussion and consideration.”

Welcoming the meeting and the opportunity to present the City Deal proposal to the Minister directly, Derry City and Strabane District Council Chief Executive John Kelpie said:

“We presented details of our very robust City Deal plans to the Minister and outlined to him the significant economic benefits it would bring for the region in terms of job creation, investment and population growth.

"We outlined to him how our City Deal proposal is aligned with our Strategic Inclusive Growth Plan and how a City Deal would provide the strong partnership intervention and strategically focused local investment that we need to successfully activate the transformation of the economic fortunes of the North West City region.

“We were very pleased to be afforded the opportunity to bring these discussions to Minister Javid today and are very keen to advance to the next stage of the City Deal process that would involve us progressing with businesses cases detailing the benefits of key projects across the District and the wider region". 

Foyle MP, Elisha McCallion (alongside Mayor, Maolíosa McHugh) also took to social media while she was in Westminster to keep the public up to date with their meeting: