City and Strabane District Council

Open Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council held as a Hybrid/Socially Distanced Meeting remotely and also physically in the Council Chamber, Guildhall, Derry on Monday 7 June 2021 at 7pm.

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Present in Person: - Councillor Tierney (Outgoing Mayor); Aldermen Guy, McClintock, and Warke (Incoming Mayor); Councillors R Barr, Carr, Doyle, Duffy, Ferguson, Gallagher, Harkin, Jackson, and Reilly.

Present Virtually: - Aldermen Devenney, Hussey, McCready and Ramsey; Councillors J Barr, J Boyle, M Boyle, Burke, Cusack, Dobbins, Donnelly, Edwards, Farrell, Fleming, Heaney, Kelly, Logue, McGuire, McHugh, McKeever, McKinney, Mellon, Mooney and O’Neill

In Attendance in Person: - Mr J Kelpie (Chief Executive), Ms E Cavanagh (Lead Democratic Services and Improvement Officer), Mr P Kingston (Lead Legal Services Officer), Mrs S Maxwell (Democratic Services Officer and Miss L Bell (Committee Services Assistant).

In Attendance Virtually: - Mr S Gillespie (Director of Business and Culture), Mrs K McFarland (Director of Health and Community), Mrs K Phillips (Director of Environment and Regeneration) and Ms A McCourt (Media Officer).

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AM1/21 Notice and Summons of Meeting

The Chief Executive read the Notice and Summons for the meeting.

AM2/21 Member Attendance and Apologies

The Chief Executive completed the roll call, Apologies were received from Alderman Kerrigan.

AM3/21 Broadcasting Statement

The Mayor read the broadcasting statement.

AM4/21 Declarations of Members Interests

No Declarations of Interest were made by Members.

AM5/21 Welcome and Outgoing Speech from Mayor

The outgoing Mayor, Councillor Brian Tierney addressed Council. He stated that this was a day of mixed emotions for him as he hands over the chain of office to his successor Alderman Warke. His year as Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council has been an unusual one while it has been challenging and different, it has also been very enjoyable and insightful and he has been truly honoured and privileged to have held the position of First Citizen and represent the wonderful people of this City and District.

He stated that his year as Mayor has given him an entirely new perspective on life and while he was notable to physically meet and greet as many people as he would have liked to, he did adapt the role to enable him to carry out his duties in new ways. He stated that he had engaged with the public as much as possible through virtual and digital means and when the regulations permitted, he travelled across the Council area to visit towns and villages and meet with people from all communities.

He extended his heartfelt thanks to everyone for their continued support and friendship over the past year. He expressed a special note of thanks to his Deputy Mayor and his party colleagues and to all Elected Members. He also acknowledged the support and love shown to him by my wife Cheryl, his children and his wider family including my parents, without their help he could not have carried out this role.

Continuing he expressed his thanks to the Council team of Officers led by the Chief Executive, John Kelpie. He also extended his thanks to the team in the Mayor’s office, who have ensured that he kept to the schedule and ensured he kept his feet firmly on the ground with their continued good humour, jokes and wit. He also thanked the Guildhall staff for their work and support throughout this challenging year and he acknowledged the support and assistance provided to him by the Committee Officer team and the IT team.

He commented that looking back to when he took office last year, little did he think that a year on and we would still be dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic. He acknowledged that whilst things are improving and we are in the process of recovery, we still have some way to go. He hoped that Council will continue with the cautious and slow step approach that will see us successfully come out of this difficult period and into a new and better future.

He stated that in spite of the pandemic and the fact that he was very limited in terms of getting out and meeting people physically, he had a very full diary of commitments throughout the year that saw him prioritise leading our communities through the Covid-19 pandemic through consistent and positive messaging and continuous lobbying for investment to support our economic recovery.

He advised that social media and digital communications were a key element of his Mayoral year and it enabled him to reach out to the wider public through video messages thanks to the help and skills of the Council’s press team. Council’s social media platforms proved essential in engaging with the public and getting out messages and also giving the public an insight into the work he was doing. He stated that Council took a very proactive role in leading on the health messaging throughout the pandemic and he wanted to sincerely thank everyone who helped with that line of communication – people such as Phil Coulter, Dana, Roma Downey, John Duddy, Adam B, Jason Smyth, Declan Devine and Tyrone McCullough who all responded positively to his call out to help Council increase awareness of COVID and help share health messages to curb the spread of the virus. He also acknowledged the tremendous support from the sports fraternity, youth organisations and leaders, community groups and artists, who also signed up to this campaign. He was confident that all their efforts helped keep numbers down and saved lives.

Given the impact of mental health he was particularly pleased to have his Mayoral charity, Aurora Counselling in place, and while the pandemic limited the amount of fundraising possible , he was delighted with the support received at the various charity events organised and the level of profile and awareness which was raised for this very worthwhile charity.

He acknowledged the important role carried out by everyone across the Council area in combating COVID 19. The huge sacrifices people made to keep one another safe has been phenomenal. He stated that the Covid-19 pandemic a huge impact not only here but across the world and the loss of life has been heart-wrenching. He offered his sincere condolences to everyone who had suffered loss as a result of COVID and stressed that behind each statistic, was a grieving family. He commented that, the way of life that we all took for granted has been totally transformed but thanks to the successful roll out of the vaccination scheme, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are seeing a gradual return to a new norm.

He stated that one of the highlights of his Mayoral year had been seeing at first hand the level of community support and solidarity that exists here in Derry and Strabane, from the heroic efforts of our NHS staff, to the incredible work carried out by the community and voluntary sector to ensure the vulnerable and those in most need have the support they need.

He acknowledged the efforts of all the workers who continued to go to their jobs every day – whether they are working in a shop, a factory, a farm or driving a delivery van – they have all helped keep vital services operating. He stated that it was important to note the fantastic work of Council, all of whom have continued to work providing key services during such challenging times. He had the privilege of doing a series of Day in the Life experiences with Council frontline staff to see the important work they do across a range of services from Bin Collection, Street Cleansing, Recycling Centres, Cemeteries, Grounds Maintenance, Fleet Services and Dog Wardens. He expressed a huge thank you to all of them for all the work they do and for the warm welcome extended to him.

He highlighted that during this recovery phase of COVID, there can be no room for complacency and everyone needs to continue to adhere to the public health advice, avail of the vaccine and continue to take steps to drive down the infection rate and protect our community so that we can concentrate on rebuilding our economy.

On a positive note he stated that there was a lot to celebrate in 2020/21 He referred to the signing of the Heads of Terms for the City Deal funding package that confirmed the £250m investment from NI and UK Government to bring real growth, investment and prosperity to our region. He advised that the list of innovative and aspiring projects that will come from this investment have the potential to transform this place, to set it aside from others and he sincerely looked forward to see the roll out of these projects as we move into the delivery phase of this partner led investment.

He added that the focus on innovation and research and bringing high level jobs and research into our city and district is hugely exciting for everyone. The Heads of Terms announcement came just weeks after the welcome news regarding the relocation of the School of Health Sciences to Magee. He stated that this all bodes well as we look ahead to the arrival of the first tranche of medical students to our new medical school at Magee in September. He truly believes this will be a hugely significant and a positive step forward in realising our economic and educational potential.

Continuing he advised that in terms of regeneration, his Mayoral year saw huge levels of investment and progress on a range of projects across the Council area, including progress in a series of play parks at Sion Mills, Strathfoyle, Magheramason, Artigarvan and Newtownstewart. Council also celebrated the completion of the Drumahoe District Park and saw works progress at the Strabane Canal Basin and the Gribben alongside the roll out of significant Village Renewal projects in Ardstraw, Artigarvan, Drumahoe and Donemana.

He advised that Council’s Planning Committee and office team had a busy year progressing a number of significant planning decisions including the redevelopment of Café Roc site, the relocation of Lidl in the Buncrana Road, the extension of Sean Dolans, the approval for the new Ardnashee School and College as well as approval for the Culmore section of the Derry to Muff Greenway. In addition to all this Council had significant numbers of approvals for new housing developments across the city and district and several projects were given the green light for development within the Ebrington site.

He stated that there were occasions during his year that our communities experienced great loss and sadness, most notably from his own perspective was the sad passing of his former party leader and personal friend John Hume. While it was unfortunate that the community did not get the opportunity to publicly express their thanks and gratitude for his huge contribution to politics and civil rights, he knew that the family and his friends were grateful of the messages of support they received and the dignified manner in which John made his final journey. He stressed that he will be forever remembered in the hearts of the people of this city and district.

He highlighted that it was a year since the passing of George Floyd in the United States, the former Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton, Dr Tom McGinley of the Foyle Hospice, and HRH Prince Philip, and where he had established virtual books of condolence to allow our communities to express their sympathy and share their memories.

He had the privilege of lending his support to so many initiatives and projects throughout the year and turning the Guildhall Clock face and Council Offices various colours in support of many charities and causes. There were too many to name but all of them were important and it was an excellent way of showing support and raising awareness across the Council area.

His Mayoral term saw people adapting to new ways of delivering events and festivals thanks to the creativity of Council staff who worked tirelessly to keep spirits up by organising a series of online festivals and exhibitions throughout the year. From virtual jazz performances in the Guildhall and music sessions at the Alley, to digital tours of our Museum exhibitions, pop up animation on our streets and online exercise classes and boot camps, Council teams have ensured services continued and our communities were energised and entertained.

He stated that it would be remiss of him not to mention the commitment and resilience of the business community. He had the pleasure of going out on a number of occasions to meet with businesses across the Council area to hear at first hand the challenges they face, and while they appreciated the level of financial support they had received from Government, they knew the road to recovery will have its challenges. He said it was also sad to see the demise of some popular high street stores, including the departure of Easons. He was confident however of the success of the new approach taken by many local businesses to adapt to new business practices including selling online.

He looked forward to seeing work commence in the coming weeks for the exciting revitalisation plans for Derry and Strabane town centres. He stressed that it was important we do all we can to ensure we welcome people back into a safe environment that encourages them to support our local businesses and rebuild our economy.

He acknowledged that while he did not get the chance to travel overseas, he did have the pleasure of being part of a series of international and cross border events including the first ever virtual Golden Bridges Conference and had the pleasure of meeting virtually with An Taoiseach Micheal Martin to highlight the work Council are doing in partnership with Donegal County Council to promote the North West City Region as a unique investment proposition, whilst highlighting the need for investment in our infrastructure including the City of Derry Airport.

He stated that the highlight of his Mayoral term had been meeting with young people. He acknowledged that it has been a tough time for our children and young people and they have been brilliant. Every single day he is amazed at how talented, creative and inspiring they all are. Earlier in the year he held a series of School Leavers events for children moving from primary school to secondary school and who, as a result of the pandemic, didn’t get to say goodbye to their friends. All 15 of these one hour sessions that were held over six days were a huge success and were extremely enjoyable. The feedback from the students, teachers and parents was extremely positive and he really enjoyed being part of it.

His Easter Art competition saw over 1300 entries from schools across the Council and he was delighted earlier this month to award jazz bursaries to five local talented musicians. Just last week he welcomed a number of school groups participating in the ASPIRE project into the Guildhall for a series of socially distanced meetings and was hugely impressed by their tenacity, strength and enthusiasm for the future.

He stated that anyone who knows him personally will know that he is a massive Man United and Derry City FC fan and while that has had its up and downs, it was fantastic to meet the family of the late Mark Farren last week to unveil the fantastic mural that has been painted at the dug out in the Brandywell. Mark was a very special player and a fantastic role model to any young aspiring football and he hopes that his mural will continue to inspire more young people into the sport.

At the start of his Mayoral year he made a commitment to represent everyone and to do all he could to put Derry Strabane and all the towns, villages and townlands in between on the map. He hoped that he had done that and offered some level of support and hope for the citizens of this Council area.

In conclusion he stated that as he hands over the chain of office to Alderman Warke he wanted to wish him all the best for the future and he looked forward to working with him in the year ahead. He noted that one thing I would not miss was chairing the Full Council meetings and that is one task he was happy to pass over to the new Mayor.

He thanked everyone for helping him during his tenure, and noted that it was disappointing that it was not possible to have a Mayoral Ball this year but it was a sacrifice worth making to ensure everyone was kept safe.

He stated that he looked forward to working with everyone as we work collectively in a united approach for a better future for the people of the Derry City and Strabane District Council area

Councillor Reilly thanked the Mayor for completing a very challenging year in the role. He acknowledged that whilst there had been difficulties faced due to the pandemic, the Mayor had reached out across the entire District during the year. Particular praise was given for the day in the life initiative which Councillor Reilly felt was a great way to connect with Council staff. Councillor Reilly also reflected on the sad death of his party colleague John Hume and stressed the significance of the gift of his three peace awards from the Hume family to the City. He acknowledged the work the Mayor had completed with sporting organisations and bodies and conveyed the best wishes of the SDLP to Councillor Tierney and his family.

Alderman McClintock expressed her thanks to Councillor Tierney for the work he had completed during the year. She stated that he had shown good leadership and she praised his Chairmanship during marathon Council meetings. She expressed her good wishes towards the Mayor and his family and stated she hoped he would now take a little time for relaxation before getting back to his role as Councillor.

Councillor Duffy paid tribute to the outgoing Mayor, acknowledging the challenging nature of the past year. She stated that he had represented the City and District well, commenting that he had made public health paramount during his term. She praised his collaboration with the Council Press Team, which had ensured that public health messages had a far reach and were conducted in a way that was easily understood. She praised the conduct of the Mayor at events which he had the opportunity to attend, stating he had been an excellent ambassador for the City. She commented on his fairness in chairing Council meetings. She expressed her wish for a better year ahead and thanked the Mayor for assisting Council in the past year.

Councillor R Barr thanked the Mayor for his year in office, stating that he found him to be fair, courteous and obliging. He commented on his friendly and diligent nature, which had gained him friends within the Strabane area when he attended various events there.

Alderman Guy congratulated the Mayor for carrying out his duties to a high standard during trying times. He stated that he felt the Mayor had been cheated out of the full Mayoral experience because of the pandemic. He advised that the public had received the Mayor well at events which he attended, and praised his fairness. He suggested that the SDLP consider re-nominating the Mayor in future, as he had missed out on so much this year.

The Mayor commented that whilst he had enjoyed his year in Office, he felt that one year was enough, adding that many previous Mayors would agree.

Councillor Doyle paid tribute to the Mayor and his family. He commented on the fairness and approachability displayed by the Mayor.

Councillor Ferguson thanked the Mayor for his completion of a difficult and unusual year as Mayor. She praised his fairness and good chairmanship during Council meetings and conveyed the best wishes of the Alliance Party to the Mayor and his family.

Councillor Gallagher thanked the Mayor and commended his year in Office. He acknowledged that as an independent, he had been challenging towards the Mayor during the year and praised the way the Mayor had dealt with this. He particularly thanked the Mayor for his service to Strabane, he thanked him for his participation in events with he had also personally been involved in, particularly one which the Mayor had attended all day on a Sunday in Strabane. He added that it was a privilege to have the Mayor’s attendance.

Councillor Donnelly expressed his thanks to the Mayor for his service over the year. He concurred with Councillor Gallagher’s comments regarding dealing well with challenges from Independent Members.

Councillor Carr concurred with the comments of previous speakers and wished the Mayor well for the future.

Councillor Harkin thanked the Mayor for carrying out a good job over a difficult year. He stated that whilst he had his arguments with the Chair in the Chamber, he felt that he had been overall a very fair Chair at meetings. He thanked the Mayor for being supportive in his capacity as Mayor for the many causes he supported.

Alderman Hussey thanked the Mayor for a brilliant year. He stated that he felt the Mayor may have thought of him when challenging Members had been previously mentioned. He thanked the Mayor for allowing Members their fair share of speaking time according to Standing Orders and wished him well going forward. The Mayor thanked Members for their words of support and encouragement.

Open for Decision

AM6/21 Appointment of Members for each of the following Positions of Responsibility for Year 3, 2021-2022.

The allocation of Positions of Responsibility for the year ending June 2022 were made as follows;

Allocation of Mayor

The outgoing Mayor sought a nomination for the position of Mayor from the DUP grouping for the incoming year.

Alderman McClintock nominated Alderman Warke, on behalf of the DUP for the position of Mayor. She outlined that having been in Council for 6 years, she felt he would be a wonderful ambassador for the City and District. She reminded Members of Alderman Warke’s background and his family’s background in community and youth work within the Fountain area and the Cathedral Youth Club. She advised that Alderman Warke, who was from the Newbuildings area had endeavoured tirelessly to support the people of the rural Faughan ward. She praised Alderman Warke’s people skills and expressed her confidence that he would do his best for all the people of the City and District, whilst being sensitive to all the diverse narratives which exist. She acknowledged that Alderman Warke would receive many requests for the year ahead, both normal requests and those regarding the Centenary year of . She expressed best wishes on behalf of the DUP to Alderman Warke for the year ahead.

Alderman Warke and took the Chair.

Allocation of Deputy Mayor

The incoming Mayor then sought a nomination for the position of Deputy Mayor from the Sinn Fein grouping.

Councillor Duffy nominated Councillor Jackson for the position of Deputy Mayor. She explained that Councillor Jackson was an outstanding elected representative and a grass-roots activist, not only in the Waterside but across the entire City and District. She stated that he would endeavour to visit as many people across the City and District as was possible. She expressed the support of Sinn Fein for Councillor Jackson in the coming year.

The Party Nominating Officer or Independent Member (as applicable) confirmed the following appointments:

Chair of Governance and Strategic Planning (SDLP)

Councillor Reilly

Chair of Planning Committee (ALLIANCE)

Councillor McKinney

Chair of Assurance, Audit and Risk Committee (IND-Gallagher)

Councillor Gallagher

Chair of Business and Culture Committee (SF)

Councillor Heaney

Chair of Environment and Regeneration Committee (SF)

Councillor McHugh

Chair of Health and Community Committee (SF)

Councillor Fleming

Deputy Chair of Governance and Strategic Planning (DUP)

Alderman McClintock

Deputy Chair of Planning Committee (SF)

Councillor McGuire

Deputy Chair of Assurance, Audit and Risk Committee (SF)

Councillor Logue

Deputy Chair of Business and Culture Committee (SDLP)

Councillor J Barr

Deputy Chair of Environment and Regeneration Committee (DUP)

Alderman Kerrigan

Deputy Chair of Health and Community Committee (DUP)

Alderman Devenney

Representative on Reserve Forces’ & Cadets Association for NI (DUP)

Alderman McCready

Policing and Community Safety Partnership

Alderman Kerrigan to replace Alderman Warke.

AM7/21 Speeches by Incoming Mayor and Deputy Mayor

The incoming Mayor, Alderman Graham Warke then addressed the Council.

He stated that he was truly honoured to be elected Mayor for Derry City and Strabane District Council for the incoming year.

He thanked his proposer Alderman McClintock and all the DUP group for their support and trust in this very important year for the City and District.

On a personal note, he acknowledged that his late father David was looking down on him this evening and would be very proud. He thanked his family and friends who were watching the meeting online. He stated that he would like to take this opportunity to praise his mother Jeanette on the excellent work she has been doing breaking barriers down for the City and the strong community values she has taught him on helping people. He stated that he was so proud to be Dad to his two beautiful children Katelyn and Ollie and he wanted to thank them for always supporting him and giving him the drive to take on this role Finally but not least he expressed a special thanks to his partner, Tracy who has been his rock and is always there to support him.

He noted that as Members sit here tonight with light at the end of the tunnel after a very challenging year but he was very hopeful that there will be better times ahead. Continuing he stated that the citizens of Londonderry and the entire District have been going through the greatest challenge ever but progress has been made and with the vaccination programme in place, hopefully things will begin to return to a new norm. He stated that our unique community spirit and generosity continues to play an important part in getting us through these difficult times.

He stated that the Covid19 pandemic has affected our city in the most fundamental ways, it has impacted on our everyday lives and on our interactions with family and friends; our workplaces and our schools, our businesses and our frontline services, all have been affected by it and the challenges it has created. He noted that it has brought great sadness to many who have lost loved ones, and his thoughts were with those who are still struggling to come to terms with that loss.

He commented that charities, sports clubs, community groups, churches and neighbours have come together to support those in need and those on the frontline. The scale of that effort has been so impressive and is testament to the true spirit of the people of this Council area and its people. It demonstrates our people’s remarkable resilience, and that is something that sets us in good stead as we take the next steps on our recovery journey, together.

He extended his thanks to the outgoing Mayor Councillor Brian Tierney on his successful year. It was a difficult year but he had stepped up to the challenge and had a very positive year in unusual circumstances He hoped Brian would enjoy the time off with his family. He also congratulated the newly elected Deputy Mayor, Councillor Christopher Jackson and looked forward to working with him in the year ahead.

He highlighted that one of the great privileges of being Mayor is being able to nominate a charity for the year and he was delighted to announce that the Foyle Down Syndrome Trust would be his Mayoral charity. He advised that Foyle Down Syndrome Trust is a unique locally based Charity providing user led programmes to children and young people with Down syndrome from birth through to adulthood. It was set up 25 years ago by parents who thought more could and should be done to support their children.

The core of the organisation is their one to one education programme which was developed by world famous Down syndrome education specialist Professor Sue Buckley.

Today they offer a wide range of needs led programmes to over 120 people with Downs Syndrome including one to one education, music therapy, speech and language therapy, health and wellbeing, outdoor learning, mentoring and a new social enterprise printing project called Down Right Crafty. He hoped that during his year as Mayor he would be able to raise much needed funds for the charity, as well as helping to raise their profile and create awareness of the charity and the fantastic work it does.

He stated that during his Mayoral year he promised to represent all the people of this Council area. He looked forward to visiting all communities and all regions of the District and hoped to visit new places and meet lots of people from across all sections of the community.

He referred to the signing of the Heads of Terms for the City Deal project last year, which was a hugely significant and important milestone for our entire region and advised that one of his key priorities will be to bring the City Deal projects to the next stage of delivery, where we can see real growth, investment and prosperity in our region. He stated that he was hugely impressed with the number of innovative and aspiring projects that will come from this investment and strongly believes they have the potential to transform this place and set it aside from others. He sincerely looked forward to seeing the roll out of these projects, as we move into the delivery phase of this partner led investment.

In terms of regeneration, he looked forward during his Mayoral year to see continued investment in play provision and in rural investment right across the Council area. He was committed to being a strong voice urging Government to progress further with all transport infrastructure investment and to deliver on the Magee expansion. He also looked forward to seeing the first medical students starting in September and believed the university has the potential to transform this region.

He advised that another of his key commitments is to tackle the issue of mental health in our communities and he would be lobbying Government for permanent funding for the Crisis Intervention Centre.

He added that during his Mayoral year he looked forward to seeing a return to events and hopefully Council’s world renowned Halloween festival will go ahead in October. He also stated that this is an important year with the NI Centenary celebrations and he looked forward to welcoming tourists back to our wonderful historic city for this important historic event and he would be working with the Council teams to continue to promote and showcase all of our tourism products.

He once again extended his thanks to everyone for their support to date and looked forward to working with everyone collectively for a better future for the people of the Derry City and Strabane District Council area

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jackson then addressed the Council.

He stated that he was honoured to take up the role as Deputy Mayor, representing the people of Derry and Strabane on behalf of Sinn Fein and also on behalf of the people of the Waterside whom he was proud to represent.

He firstly paid tribute to the outgoing Mayor and Deputy Mayor for your hard work during what was really a challenging and difficult year for everyone.

He congratulated the new Mayor Alderman Warke and wished him all the best for what will no doubt be a busy and exciting year.

He acknowledged that society has been turned upside down in the last year as the Covid19 pandemic swept across our community and changed life as we know it. He wished to send condolences to the families of those from across our city and district, who have died as a result of this horrible virus. He commented that it had been a challenging and difficult time, but as a Council and a community we continued to battle our way through it and support those who need it. He acknowledged that we had protected jobs, lifted people’s spirits and supported some of the most vulnerable in our communities and now we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He was confident that there were better days ahead.

He stated that he was delighted to see many of small businesses, bars , restaurants and shops open and welcoming customers safely once again.

He advised that we can now look towards economic recovery and rebuilding society and that at the heart of this is creating more jobs, protecting existing jobs and supporting workers and small businesses. He stressed that there are huge opportunities for this city and district.

He noted that it has been an exciting year, with the delivery of the biggest single investment ever in this city’s history through the £250 million City Deal and Inclusive Growth Deal.

The green light has also been given for a state-of-the-art graduate entry medical school at Magee University. He maintained that the events of the last year have highlighted the importance of having well trained health workers, working within communities, caring for people and saving lives.

He believed that we need to embrace this new era of opportunities and build a district of opportunity for young people, with more jobs, more social and affordable homes and more money in the pockets of workers and families. He also noted that 2021 is the centenary of partition, which is a stark reminder of the dark days of discrimination, division and inequality. Those days are however gone and everyone can look to a new and better future. He also added that there is a conversation taking place across society about a new future and a new, united Ireland and he would urge people in Derry and Strabane to get involved and help shape it.

Continuing he stated that we are in the unique position of being Ireland’s only cross-border city and with that lies a huge opportunity to work with our colleagues in Donegal to create opportunities for everyone in the North West.

Concluding he stated that as we begin a new year for Derry and Strabane, let’s kick off with a willingness to work together, right across the chamber, to deliver a better deal for workers, families and communities.

He looked forward to working with the Mayor, other Councillors and Council officers and workers on behalf of the people of Derry and Strabane

Councillor Ferguson congratulated the Mayor and Deputy Mayor and stated she looked forward to working with them. She praised the Mayor’s choice of a fantastic Charity.

Alderman McClintock conveyed her best wishes to the Deputy Mayor who she felt would work very well alongside the Mayor. She further commented on her pleasure in seeing another Waterside resident in this role.

Councillor Reilly wished the Mayor and Deputy Mayor well in their roles and stated he felt they would work well together. He added that he looked forward to working with them over the course of the year.

Alderman Guy congratulated the Mayor and expressed his hope that he would get a more normal Mayoral experience. He congratulated him on his worthwhile choice of charity. He referred to the Northern Ireland Centenary and commented that this made the role a greater honour for the Mayor. He further congratulated Councillor Jackson and wished him the best for the coming year.

Councillor Doyle expressed his best wishes to the Mayor and commented that his Mother, family and community will be very proud. He extended these wishes to the Deputy Mayor and urged them both to utilise opportunities to showcase the City and District in the coming year. Councillor Gallagher congratulated the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. He warned that he would challenge the Mayor to best represent Strabane and advised that he should be prepared.

The Mayor thanked Members on behalf of himself and the Deputy Mayor for their comments.

AM8/21 Nomination of Members to the following Committees of the Council for the period of June 2021- June 2022 in accordance with Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act 2014

That Chief Executive advised that a two-step process would be applied to confirm membership across all Committees. The first step called for the nomination of Members to fill the minimum allocation per committee based on party/independent strength on Council and step 2 called for the nomination of Members to fill the remaining positions on each Committee.

He further advised Members that as the final remaining positions on Committees are filled, the process would be slowed and care taken as there may be instances where a nominated Party Member or Independent Member may be unable to take up that position due to restrictions (specified in the 2014 Act – Schedule 2), which limit the maximum number of places permitted by a Party or an Independent onto a committee.

Following completion of this process, the following nominations of Members onto committees were confirmed.

(a) Governance and Strategic Planning Committee

Councillor Duffy nominated the following Sinn Fein Members:

Councillor Heaney Councillor Duffy Councillor McHugh Councillor Fleming

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor Reilly (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor McKeever Councillor J Boyle Councillor Mooney

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman McClintock (Nominated during AM6/21) Alderman Bresland Alderman McCready

Alderman Guy nominated Alderman Hussey on behalf of the .

Councillor Carr nominated Councillor Donnelly as an Independent Member, as Councillor Donnelly was not present as a nominating Member in the Guildhall.

Councillor Doyle nominated himself on behalf of Aontú.

(b) Planning Committee

Councillor Duffy nominated the following SF Members:

Councillor McGuire (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor Jackson Councillor Kelly Councillor Mellon

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor Mooney Councillor J Barr Councillor Dobbins Councillor J Boyle

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman Kerrigan Alderman McClintock Alderman Bresland

Councillor Ferguson nominated Councillor McKinney on behalf of Alliance. (Nominated during AM6/21).

Councillor Gallagher nominated himself as an Independent Member.

Alderman Guy advised that the UUP representative would be confirmed at the June meeting of the Planning Committee.

(c) Assurance, Audit and Risk Committee

Councillor Duffy nominated the following SF Members:

Councillor Logue (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor M Boyle Councillor Fleming

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor McKeever Councillor Reilly Councillor J Boyle

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman Kerrigan Alderman Ramsey

Councillor Gallagher had previously been nominated.

Councillor Harkin nominated Councillor O’Neill on behalf of People before Profit.

Councillor Ferguson nominated Councillor McKinney on behalf of Alliance.

Councillor Doyle nominated himself on behalf of Aontú.

Councillor R Barr nominated himself as an Independent Member.

Councillor Carr nominated himself as an Independent Member.

Business and Culture Committee

Councillor Duffy nominated the following SF Members:

Councillor Heaney (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor McGuire Councillor Mellon Councillor Logue

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor J Barr (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor Farrell Councillor Cusack Councillor Reilly

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman Ramsey Alderman Devenney

Councillor R Barr nominated himself as an Independent Member.

Alderman Guy nominated himself on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Councillor Harkin nominated himself on behalf of People Before Profit.

Councillor Carr nominated Councillor Donnelly as an Independent Member as he was not present as a nominating Member in the Guildhall.

(d) Environment and Regeneration Committee

Councillor Duffy nominated the following SF Members:

Councillor Mc Hugh (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor Kelly Councillor Jackson Councillor Burke

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor Dobbins Councillor J Boyle Councillor Edwards Councillor Tierney

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman Kerrigan (Nominated during AM6/21) Alderman Devenney Alderman Ramsey

Councillor Harkin nominated Councillor O’Neill on behalf of People before Profit.

Alderman Guy nominated Alderman Hussey on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Councillor Ferguson nominated herself on behalf of Alliance.

(e) Health and Community

Councillor Duffy nominated the following SF Members:

Councillor Fleming (Nominated during AM6/21) Councillor M Boyle Councillor Duffy Councillor Burke

Councillor Reilly nominated the following SDLP Members:

Councillor Tierney Councillor Farrell Councillor Edwards Councillor Reilly

Alderman McClintock nominated the following DUP Members:

Alderman Devenney (Nominated during AM6/21) Alderman McCready.

Councillor Ferguson nominated herself on behalf of Alliance.

Councillor Harkin nominated himself on behalf of People Before Profit.

Councillor Carr nominated himself as an Independent Member.

Alderman Guy nominated himself on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party.

AM9/21 Other Representations

Members noted that at a Special Meeting of Council would be held on Monday 14 June 2021 to nominate Members to other bodies.

The meeting ended at 8.20 pm.