Levelling Up denial branded a ‘disgrace’ as Creggan reservoir and greenways miss out

At a full meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Wednesday, November 22, Derg Sinn Féin District Councillor Ruairí McHugh said the district was ‘very successful’ with funding during Round 1 of the allocation.

The latest round of the Levelling Up Fund, Round 3, awarded almost £1bn to local projects in the UK, £30 million of which was due to be allocated to the North.

“We had four applications, and none were successful,” Colr. McHugh said. “They included a new leisure centre in Strabane, our greenways projects and the redevelopment of Creggan Reservoir.

“The DUP refuses to go into power sharing and this is the result of that position. We need to be back at Stormont to deliver for people with application funds like this.”

Ballyarnett SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney proposed that Council write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to ‘express grave concern at the deliberate attempt to exclude the North from vital funding’.

“The fact that we haven’t had an opportunity to tap into that opportunity at round 3 is a total and absolute disgrace,” Colr. Tierney said. “The British Government are using the lack of a functioning government here as an excuse.

“This was to replace vital EU funding in this district and it was supporting community organisations. It was a lifeline for many of them.

“This shows that, with the stroke of a pen, the British Government can deny us of vital funding. This money was supposed to make Brexit easier, but it hasn’t at all and we have been excluded. That’s not right.

“There was no functioning Executive during Rounds 1 and 2, so why use that excuse now? We are being punished by the British Government by decisions taken by the DUP, and that’s not fair.

“There will be no Tory minister or DUP politician who will lose a single night’s sleep over this decision, but many people across this district will.”

Independent Paul Gallagher said the British Government was using the absence of an Assembly as a ‘smokescreen’ to deny funds, while People Before Profit District Councillor Shaun Harkin said the British Government’s actions were ‘disgraceful’.

Colr. Harkin said: “They’re claiming that this about putting pressure on the DUP to re-enter the Executive. I think they’ve put a sympathetic arm around the DUP to try and figure out its issues and then engaged in collective punishment of all communities here.’

“The Secretary of State has put through a couple of billion pounds in cuts. Workers can’t get a pay rise, community organisations are struggling to get funding and our public services are on their knees. Now, piled on top, is the latest attack on communities here. I think it’s a disgrace.”

DUP Alderman Niree McMorris said: “I believe they’re using this as a tool to penalise people of NI and as a weapon to blackmail people.

“Rossdowney Play Park was to be included in Round 2 of the funding, and I do lose sleep over that. When I look at that play park, it’s desolate and has no play value.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter