A Council delegation of elected representatives and senior officers took part in a walking tour of Strabane and Castlederg this week to see at first hand the huge potential this area has for further development and enhancement.
The initiative took place in response to a notice of motion in July which called on the Council’s Chief Executive to organise the walk to decide whether the areas are subject to disproportionate funding from within Council compared to Derry City.
The Council officer team met with the elected representatives in Castlederg on Wednesday morning where they visited the Derg Valley Leisure Centre, the Diamond area and the Castederg Police station hearing at first hand from the local elected representatives about the opportunities that exist for the village to be improved and regenerated.
Elected members taking part in the tour outlined to Council officers the need for continued engagement with its statutory partners across all Government departments to provide additional resources and investment in rural communities such as Castlederg and highlighted the important role the rural community has in developing and enhancing the wider Council district.
The Council grouping also travelled to Strabane where they visited the Council owned Alley Theatre and Conference Centre before taking a walking tour of the Strabane town centre including Abercorn Square, Castle Street, Main Street, Bridge Street, the Police Station, Coutrai Park, Market Street and the Canal Basin.
Elected representatives from the Strabane DEA taking part in the tour highlighted the opportunities that exist in Strabane town centre for additional investment, resources, forward thinking and creativity to allow Strabane to reach its full potential.
Following the walking tour, elected representatives were provided with a presentation giving an overview of the continued investment by Council in the Strabane district since the formation of the new Council.
A key element of the presentation was the commitment by Council to put rural issues and needs top of the agenda. Members heard from the Council’s Legacy Director Oonagh McGillion how a Rural Issues Group has been established since January 2021 as a Thematic Sub Group of the Strategic Inclusive Growth Partnership, with the first meeting being held in March with five subsequent meetings between April-September.
Members attending the tour were informed that the officer team would take forward the comments and views of elected members and Council’s commitment to investment across all parts of the Council area including Strabane, Castlederg and other rural areas was reiterated to everyone in attendance.
