Neighbourhood renewal strategydiscussed

Around £1.55m of funding will be transferred to the Council for use of a neighbourhood Renewal type programme. The allocation to projects from the current programme is around £1m leaving a further £500,000 for new projects under a further programme,

The programme aims to reduce social and economic inequalities affecting the most deprived areas and neighbourhoods deemed to be in the most deprived 10% of wards in Northern Ireland. Here the areas which received support are Ballysally and Millburn; Churchlands (The Heights and Killowen) and Limavady (Coolesan, Roeside and Greystone).

Officers asked the committee to consider expanding the scheme to either 15 or 20% which would cover a much wider area, increasing the population affected from approximately 7,500 to 9,500 (15%) or 20,000 (20%).

Limavady Cllr Dermot Nicholl proposed the Committee looked at the 20% as it covered most of the areas in the new council adding: “We are here to respect all the areas in this council.”

Limavady Cllr Boyd Douglas asked: “Is there any indication that areas funded in the past have benefitted?

“Why pump money continuously into these areas, will they always be deprived?

Paul Beattie, Development Manager responded: “With projects like this is can be a 20 year period before you can see change.

“Generally there are positive outcomes as they affect family learning, health, education.”

Councillor Nicholl’s proposal to adopt 20% was carried by the committee.

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