Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan 2017-2032
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Derry City & Strabane District’s Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan 2017-2032 Our Community Plan DRAFT FOR coNSULTATION JUNE 2017 Inclusive Strategic Growth Plan - Our Community Plan Introduction and Welcome This is the beginning of a significant and This Strategic Growth Plan is presented We have convened around a common and ambitious long term, collaborative process as the result of an extensive period of agreed vision: aimed at improving all of our lives and driving engagement with citizens, organisations inclusive, sustainable growth and prosperity and businesses. This draft plan has been across our City and entire District. It comes informed by a robust evidence base Our vision is a thriving, at a time when we are empowered and which has helped develop our themes, prosperous and energised. We are driven to improve our City outcomes, indicators and actions. We have and regions’ global competitiveness. We are commissioned an economic forecast of the sustainable City and committed to enhancing our skills, retaining impacts of this plan, its interdependencies our talent base, addressing poverty, social and risks. We also have developed detailed District with equality exclusion and patterns of deprivation. We action plans which consider how this plan of opportunity for all. are passionate about our built and natural is to be delivered, ensuring that what we heritage and sustainably enhancing our intend to do is measurable, defined and environment to develop a connected and costed. Producing a plan is in many ways the easy vibrant City, Town Centres and rural areas. part – delivering on the plan and ‘making Our analysis of inequality which it happen’ with real progress towards our The new statutory duty of Community complements this plan provides the most shared vision is the real challenge. We Planning presents us with an exciting robust evidence base through which the recognise that change cannot be instant opportunity, involves a new partnership plan’s actions were developed and against but to ensure that the promise of inclusive between all the tiers of government, the which they will be evaluated over time. We growth and equality is achieved, we will community and voluntary sector, and now are ready to consult on this plan and we constantly keep this plan under review, business to improve the wellbeing of all of our welcome your views on its contents. adding new collaborative actions as they citizens. Community Planning provides a form emerge from our new ways of working. This of strong integrated, partnership governance We want to harness the opportunities and document is just the start of a challenging that takes a strategic view and is evidence- potentially eradicate the challenges that and exciting journey. based, people-focused and place-centred. It face us, some unique to our situation and helps ensure that by working together and others generated by global forces beyond Derry City and Strabane District’s Strategic by pooling resources we can strategically our control. There is a real sense that this is Growth Partnership (Community Planning grow and improve social, economic and our time. Partnership) May 2017 environmental wellbeing for all. 2 Contents Outcomes and Impacts Summary Page 1 This is our place 4 2 This is our time 6 ... ...... .... A time of opportunity 6 .... ... ... ... A time of challenge 12 ... .. .. .. 18 .. A time for a new story .. .. 22 . 3 A new ambition and approach . 28 . 4 Outcomes and actions . 30 . Economy . 36 Environment & Regeneration 40 Community & Social 44 Key Strategic Capital Projects . 5 Impacts 46 . 52 . 6 Interdependencies & Risks . 52 . 7 Making it happen . Appendix . A Equality Impact Assessment . Appendix B Baseline Statistics & Evidence Base Published in accordance with Section 68 of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014. This document is available in a range of formats on request. See page 65 for contact details. 1 This is our place Derry City and Strabane District Council area comprises the A City Region A City with an urban second largest city in Northern Ireland / fourth largest city on the Island of Ireland. Derry~Londonderry is the ‘Capital serving over population in excess of the North West’ and is at the core of the only functional economic city region of its scale which straddles the border 350,000 people of 100,000 into the Republic of Ireland. Derry-Londonderry has an urban population in excess of 100,000, is the principal sub regional economic driver of a wider cross border City Region of over 350,000 people. Our wider Council area is home to 149,500 residents and covers 1245km2. It is set within the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains - a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has a contrasting urban and rural landbase and population. Our Regional City is a University City and has Northern Ireland’s second largest acute hospital, which includes the only cross-border Cancer Centre on this island. Derry~Londonderry is our civic city centre and is supported and connected to Strabane, an historic, thriving cross-border market town and many other vibrant rural towns and villages such as Castlederg, Eglinton, Sion Mills, Donemana, Claudy, Plumbridge and Newtownstewart. 4 This is our place We have a remarkable and rich history, culture and heritage packaged together A Council in a stunning landscape which is traversed Area serving a with some of the best fishing rivers in Europe. The District Council area includes population of the Rivers Foyle, Finn and Mourne, accentuated with elegant bridges, 149,500 attractive riverside parks, cycle paths and greenways. covering an area 2 Derry~Londonderry is the only remaining of 1,245km intact Walled City in Ireland and hosts 2 cathedrals. It is a site of ancient monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by with 71% urban St Colmcille. The City and District once led the world in the textile industry. The dwellers region has since repositioned itself as one of the most creative and cultural areas on this island and is now a strong global and 29% rural competitor in tourism, life sciences and dwellers digital and creative industries. Our City Region and towns and villages have many quality of life advantages - such as an excellent education system, relatively short commuting times, a vibrant cultural scene and stunning landscapes. There is a very strong sense of belonging and local people have close neighbourly and family ties. 2 This is our time - a time of opportunity Over recent years the City and District has experienced considerable social, economic and environmental transformation. We are growing... The UK City of Culture 2013, the Peace Bridge, development of the riverfront and the Strabane pedestrian bridge at Melvin, are just some examples of this transformation both physically and culturally. There has been a major investment in physical regeneration, a wide expansion of cultural opportunities and the City and District has become internationally renowned for its world class festivals and events. The region is also widely recognised for its effective approaches to reconciliation, its commitment to building peace, good relations and cultural diversity. There is a tangible new confidence - a clear vision and direction within the City and District. Building on the progress made in the development and delivery of the ‘One Plan’ in Derry; and the Community Regeneration planning process in Strabane District; there is now political and civic consensus on our key social, economic and environmental challenges and opportunities. Through mature and developed partnership working and dynamic political and civic leadership, the region is already results, outcomes and impacts focused and is poised to build on the potential that community planning presents. There is a clear understanding that success can only be achieved by ensuring that we put in place proactive policies and actions to target and effectively challenge and address inequalities, social deprivation and poverty wherever it exists across our Council area. 6 This is our time - a time of opportunity We are becoming We are building... healthier... We are building more houses and our houses are worth more. We are investing in parks, play areas, greenways and leisure Unemployment has facilities right across our City & District fallen and our economy Males up 2.8 years Females up 2.3 years is growing from 2001/03 to 2011/13 We are the only Council area in Northern Ireland which experienced a growth in its rates base in 2015/16 - up 2%, indicating that our business & residential sectors are growing Jobs increased 6.3% from 2011 - 2015 (2011 - 50,469, 2015 - 53,630) There was a 39.6% decrease in people claiming job seekers allowance between August 2013 to March 2017 2 This is our time - a time of opportunity We are learning and improving... We are innovating... The Ulster University is one of the top ten entrepreneurial universities The % of school leavers who have achieved at least 5 GCSE in the UK. £42m is invested in research and innovation programmes Grades A*- C has increased. (76.4% in 2013/14 to 82% in 2014/15) each year and Ulster University is ranked in the The % of school leavers who achieved at least 2+ A-levels top 3% of universities in the world. has increased. (55.5% in 2013/14 to 58.9% in 2014/15) The Ulster University at Magee is developing a new medical school NI has the best performing education system for primary and an international college, existing specialisms include computing mathematics in Europe and the 6th best in the world and engineering, stratified medicine, data analytics and nursing. (according to a major US survey) In 2014 the Research Excellence Framework identified UU as one of We are consistently the top performing region of the UK the top 25% of UK universities for world leading research.