DC&SDC: WHO European Healthy Cities Network application endorsed

Phase VII designation for Derry and Strabane will demonstrate council’s commitment to global leadership in tackling health inequalities.

Progress was described as ‘very positive’ by Erin McFeely, Chief Executive of Developing Healthy Communities and Co-ordinator of WHO Healthy Cities in Derry as she updated Members on the application.

Ms McFeely said: “This is an application that the city and district can be very proud of and achieving the designation affords the opportunity for us to celebrate the good work that is happening in the city as well as an opportunity to promote collaborative approaches to tackling the health inequalities and the challenges we know exist in our area and to hopefully support recovery from Covid-19.”

Offering his party’s support for the application SDLP Councillor Rory Farrell said: “It’s going to help create a greener, cleaner council area with healthier and hopefully happier citizens.

“We welcome the three key themes which are included which are sensible and deliverable and ultimately they should reap benefits and dividends for the people across this city and district.

“The first is investing in our green and blue spaces. We are extending our greenways and we are developing along the banks of our fantastic Foyle. We’ve got great parks across this city and district and the masterplan for Clooney is going to be another feather in your cap.

“The second is around investing in medical education and innovation and obviously next year we should see Health Sciences coming to Magee and we have the Medical School which had its first intake of students this month and we have all the innovation projects associated with City Deal too.

“The third theme is the streetscape projects. Personally I think there are fantastic opportunities around our city centre for more pedestrianisation and we witnessed it at the Cathedral Quarter weekend. It was so vibrant and there was an amazing buzz, that’s something we should be doing more of.

“The health inequalities across this city and district are well documented and are linked to poverty and vulnerabilities but the themes and strategic aims of our application will address that.”

PBP Councillor Shaun Harkin added the application will help ‘highlight the work we are attempting to do to make our city and district a healthier place’.

DUP Alderman Maurice Devenney agreed that the three themes ‘are excellent ones’ and that his party are ‘always supportive of anything within our council area that makes it healthier’.

All Members unanimously agreed to support the application.