Sewerage work for 100 Seán Dolan houses needed: MLA

She said Radius Housing was keen to work with NI Water to ensure its £16m 119-home development at the Seán Dolan’s Gaelic football club proceeds unhindered.

The Foyle MLA raised the matter at the Stormont Assembly. She said: “Last week, our Committee was at NI Water, which outlined its PC21 priorities. I was shocked to discover that Derry, Strabane and Omagh were not included, given the level of inequalities in the North West.

“I want to ask about the Seán Dolan’s development scheme in Creggan, because I know that there is a massive hole in the budget caused by British austerity cuts.

“Given that the development is for almost 100 houses, we need a sewage and waste water treatment plant built there.

“The developers say that they are willing to assist but that NI Water has to adopt that, if that is the case. Will she look at that?”

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon replied: “It is an important issue. There are now 116 areas in Northern Ireland where we are constrained in terms of planning applications and being able to build homes and grow our economy.

“It is an issue not just for the Department for Infrastructure but for all of us, and I recognise that there are particular pinch points.

“I want to work with all Members and Ministers so that we can deliver homes - that is very important to me - but also create the opportunities to grow our economy in places such as Derry and Strabane and across Northern Ireland.”

Last November Dr. Stephen Blockwell, Head of Investment Management at NI Water told Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Environment & Regeneration Committee that: “NI Water’s current governance model is broken, to date it hasn’t delivered the investment that Northern Ireland needs,”