Ilex plan awaits nod

He revealed the appearance of the final regeneration plan for the city - projecting 12,900 new jobs by 2020 - on ten early versions of the draft programme in an exchange with local MLA Mark H. Durkan at Stormont.

Mr Durkan asked the Minister why the regeneration plan, proposed by Ilex company, was not mentioned in the draft Programme for Government?

Mr Robinson replied: “The draft Programme for Government has not been published. Perhaps the Member can explain on what basis he framed that question?”

Mr Durkan then asked if the plan was included in the draft programme and, if so, had any funds been ring-fenced for its implementation?

Mr Robinson responded: “We resent the fact that when we provide party leaders and Ministers with the officials’ draft of the Programme for Government, we have it being waved from the SDLP Back Benches and leaked to the BBC.

“That does not help to build trust within the Executive. Indeed, it crushes the possibility of having further iterations of that document spread more widely among Executive colleagues.

“The last 10 iterations of the Programme for Government that I have seen do include the ‘One Plan’, but it will be for the Executive to approve the Programme for Government, and when it is published properly in the Assembly, the Member will be able to ask questions on it.”

Ilex’s final ‘One City, One Plan, One Voice’ retains 95 workable projects across 11 separate catalyst themes and sectors and includes a detailed financial analysis of how the projects might be delivered.

The ambitious document envisages 1,500 new digital jobs (related to Project Kelvin - process centres, data storage, computer-related R&D, programming linked to US market), 1,000 creative and cultural jobs (UK City of Culture), 1,500 knowledge services jobs (the prime source of jobs in most urban locations with a university) and 1,000 new green jobs, as well as new jobs in tourism, public administration, health, retail, infrastructure and education.