Council to consider imposing '˜community benefit' conditions on housing developers

The Council is to consider building 'community benefit' requirements into the planning process for major housing developments.

At its monthly meeting on Thursday, Derry City and Strabane District Council unanimously agreed to explore the feasibility of implementing a “Community Benefit Scheme” for planning applications for housing developments across Derry and Strabane. Sinn Féin Councillor Karina Carlin said: “In Strabane there are huge swathes of housing developments in the North and West wards with no facilities or provisions that would allow the community to flourish.”

Councillor Carlin said CBS schemes, which require developers to provide adequate infrastructure are already in place in the old Derry City Council area. Chief Executive John Kelpie said he wasn’t aware that there were.

The Council agreed to the feasibility report.