Mayor Alderman Hilary McClintock
LOCAL groups and members of the public are being invited to give their thoughts and views on improving their local areas, as the latest round of Local Community Planning Workshops get underway in October.
The Local Community Planning process aims to give citizens the opportunity to identify the priorities for their area by contributing to bespoke strategies for each District Electoral Area, and Strabane town, which will subsequently feed into the strategic Community Plan.
So far hundreds of local people have already engaged with the process and some extremely positive progress has been made in terms of gauging the key areas of need across the district.
Local Communities shall consider establishing a local Community Planning Forum in each area and these forums will play a key role in shaping public service delivery and realising the objectives identified in each community area.
The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock, is calling for people across the district to take this opportunity to be a part of the Local Community Planning process.
“I am delighted by the response to the Local Community Planning process so far, but there’s much more work to be done in gauging the real needs of each community area.
“The Community Plan can only truly reflect the needs of all citizens if people identify the specific areas of concern in their area – whether that’s lack of play provision or community funding.
“I’m calling on everyone to take this opportunity to highlight the priorities for their area, and help to develop a plan which will improve and enhance our local areas for the benefit of all.”
The Local Community Plans are being developed in tandem with the wider Community Plan, which will shape the long term strategic direction for the City and Region, enhancing the delivery of public services and improving the well-being of citizens across the district.
Chief Executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Kelpie, stressed that the Local Community Planning process formed an integral part of the overall strategic Community Plan for the entire Council area.
“I want to thank everyone who has participated in the Local Community Planning process to date, we have been overwhelmed by the response from the public and we would like to see that momentum continuing.
“Inclusion is central to the success of this process and we want the Local Community Plans to embody the aspirations of as wide a spectrum of our citizens as possible.
“So with that in mind, I want to urge people to attend and find out how – by working together – we can overcome the social, economic and environmental challenges that affect us all.”
The latest round of workshops is the third in a series of public consultations, and will take place in venues across all local areas throughout October.
Everyone is invited to attend, and all views are welcome.
For those who can’t make the workshops, you can also engage with the process through the Community Planning webpage, https://goo.gl/2LDvKp
To find out about the workshops taking place in your area go to www.derrystrabane.com.localplans
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