Council urged to concentrate on jobs for Derry

A Derry community worker has called for the local council and planning authorities to do all in their power to ensure major development plans that could create hundreds of jobs are realised.
Galliagh Residents Association's Tommy Mullan. DER2815MC040Galliagh Residents Association's Tommy Mullan. DER2815MC040
Galliagh Residents Association's Tommy Mullan. DER2815MC040

Tommy Mullan said that there was a legacy of decisions being made which had resulted in major developments not going ahead and hundreds upon hundreds of jobs being lost to local people as a result.

The Galliagh Residents’ Association representative said there was an onus on the relatively new Derry City & Strabane District Council which now has greater planning input, to ensure that developing the local economy and creating jobs was at the heart of the decision making process.

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“Last year I said that Derry was facing a bleak year and in truth it has been a very, very bleak year. We have had very few gains and constant job losses.

“The council is elected by the people and should be doing everything it can to bring jobs for the people.

“There’s a lot of people, in Galliagh especially, and especially those students now leaving school, who haven’t got a hope in hell of getting a job. We are really down to the bare bones here. We are not getting a fair crack of the whip. If we are talking about creating jobs, you have to let the jobs come and the developments that will bring them come.”

Mr. Mullan said that if major developments in the future are not allowed to proceed, it would be a major blow for the people of the city.