First Derry councillors to be declared

Counting is due to get underway from 8am in the Foyle Arena after yesterday’s election when citizens chose 40 of their peers.

Those successfully elected will set rates and budgets, manage bins, swimming pools, cemeteries and festivals and set the local government capital investment agenda and be responsible for steering the City Deal projects between now and 2027.

It’s expected the count will take place in alphabetical order so the electors of the Ballyarnett (six councillors), Derg (five councillors), Faughan (five councillors) and Foyleside (five councillors) District Electoral Areas (DEA) will be the first to learn who will represent them on the new council.

Voters in the Moor (five councillors), Sperrin (seven councillors) and Waterside (seven councillors) are likely to have to wait until Saturday before the results from their areas are declared.

Yesterday turnout seemed brisk at one of the polling stations visited by the ‘Derry Journal’ with a steady footfall at Pennyburn primary school during the normally relatively quiet mid-morning period.

Turnout will be one of the first items settled at the count this morning and onlookers will be keen to observe whether the large increase in participation across many DEAs in 2019 can be sustained.

In the last election turnout in Ballyarnett rose by 6.89 per cent to 56.09 per cent while in Foyleside it was up by 5.43 per cent to 56.83 per cent.

The ‘Journal’ will be providing full coverage at www.derryjournal.com, on social media channels and in Tuesday’s print edition.