City Deal milestone in sight with ‘Heads of Terms’ sign-off imminent, says Derry MLA Martina Anderson

She was speaking after receiving confirmation of a pending agreement between City Deal funders and project delivery partners.

Ms. Anderson said ‘Heads of Terms’ on some of the major catalyst projects in the City Deal and Growth Plan are due to be signed off in the near future.

“The signing of the ‘Heads of Terms’ agreement will be a milestone in the City Deal process which will see the city benefit from strategic projects focused on innovation and research, tourism and regeneration.

“The £110 million of match funding allocated by Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy means Derry will benefit from a total £250 million investment - more per head of population than the funding provided to Belfast for its City Deal projects. The scale of this investment is a clear demonstration of Sinn Féin’s commitment to addressing historical regional inequalities in the North West.

“It is key that our local residents benefit economically from the City Deal funding. This means we need to tailor existing training programmes and, where necessary, create new ones to ensure our local population have the opportunity to apply for the huge numbers of jobs which will be created.

“I will continue to engage with government, Ulster University, North West Regional College and community training organisations to ensure that the right training and educational opportunities are developed to maximize the economic opportunities provided by City Deal funding for our local citizens,” she said.