27 January 2003

DSD ANNOUNCES £3 MILLION FOR LONDONDERRY INTERFACE AREAS

A funding package of up to £3million for interface areas in Derry has been announced by the Department for Social Development.

The money, which is being provided under the Peace II programme, will be targeted at the Brandywell and Fountain areas on the Cityside and at the Irish Street, Gobnascale, Tullyally and Currynerin areas of the Waterside.

Details of how the funding will be delivered were outlined to community and elected representatives by Declan O’Hare of the North West Development Office at a seminar in the city. More than thirty organisations were represented.

Mr O’Hare said the Department had invited the Local Strategy Partnership to oversee delivery of the programme through local neighbourhood structures.

"Regeneration only works well when local communities are involved. The Department therefore intends to put neighbourhood structures at the heart of this programme so that local people are involved in identifying and delivering solutions to the needs of their areas" he said.

Up to £1million per area could be available under the programme, which will provide monies to improve economic, environmental and social conditions.

Four-year neighbourhood action plans will be prepared for each area later this year, following further discussions to agree local structures. The North West Development Office and the Local Strategy Partnership Board will arrange for initial funding to be released for qualifying projects as quickly as possible.

The announcement was welcomed by Brian Dougherty of the Tullyally and District Development Group. He said:

"I want to congratulate the Department for Social Development on its inclusive approach to tackling the needs of disadvantaged areas."

Paul Kavanagh, of the Bogside & Brandywell Initiative, also welcomed the Department’s commitment to work through local neighbourhood groups.

"We fully support the North West Development Office and its plans to deliver this funding through grass roots bodies. There have been significant delays in getting this Peace II funding released but the causes for these lay outside the city."

For further information contact:

Declan O’Hare
North West Development Office
Tel: 028 71 319782

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