RE: Consultation - 10 year review - Regional Development Strategy 2025

The Londonderry Chamber of Commerce welcomes the opportunity to formally respond to the public consultation on the 10 Year review of the Regional Development Strategy. We support the department in this process as the review will give guidance and provide a roadmap to future planning. We welcome and understand that the review will provide RDS with a greater strategic focus to help the Executive in tackling structural regional disparities and in their pursuit of promoting equality of opportunity for all in Northern Ireland.

The Chamber would like DRD to note that we believe their document to be comprehensive and far reaching and are to be commended.

The Chamber would like to endorse and support the responses made to your Department by Derry City Council and Ilex.

Our City and region wish to move into the next period of Government speaking with one voice and in support of the one Regeneration plan and we ask all government departments to give that document due diligence as they strategise for the future.

Our City has carried out robust research across a range of indicators that points to significant socio economic differentials in comparison with other UK cities and it our belief that RDS can help redress the imbalance over the coming years.

We wish to make a number of observations relating to the RDS Consultation document:

• RDS needs to make reference to the new Regeneration Plan for Derry-Londonderry outlining our shared vision for the city for the next 10 years. Our plan has clarity and will help Government as it articulates effectively our city's strategic direction.

• Within the context of our City's Plan, The Chamber would recommend that the City be referred to as Principal City and Derry-Londonderry is clearly recognised as the economic driver for the city-region.

• In the section 2.15 on Balanced Regional Development there is no reference made to Derry-Londonderry and the North West in this context. This Chamber believes that DRD needs to weight development in favour of the NW Region. The NW has historical levels of unequal investment, including lack of joined up action, high levels of economic inactivity, infrastructural deficits, brain drain and unemployment etc

• The revised RDS must also provide a framework to facilitate cross border working to tackle the disparities and inequalities that are particular to the North West.

• We would seek assurance that under 2.18, commentary relating to the spatial distribution of employment as being predicted to remain heavily city focused that Derry-Londonderry as the Principal City of the North West is identified along with Belfast.

• We would ask that a reference to Derry-Londonderry as the Principal City for the North West be made also at 2.21 to reflect the population growth patterns projected and again reflect this in 2.27.

• Under the policy area Transportation we welcome the Department's reference to the North West corridor and the need for integrated and innovative approaches to planning and developing the transportation network and the importance of ensuring that houses, jobs, facilities and services are planned in such a way that reduces unnecessary travel within and between cities and towns. It is essential that this is progressed as a matter of urgency.

• The City's Transport Strategy document needs to be adopted by government and reflected in all future RDS. This covers proposals to develop the City of Derry airport and expand the Londonderry Port at Lisahally also need to be reinforced.

• Within the Economic Development policy area we note the recognition that there is potential for businesses to cluster in and around the 2 major development corridors - Belfast/Dublin and North West. A continued commitment to the development of the A5 and A6 is vital and will facilitate and encourage this clustering of businesses.

• Chamber is concerned that there appears to be a strategy focus on sustaining the growth of Belfast. We acknowledge the need for a strong Capital but would caution that one primary centre of employment will weaken the province. Predictions estimate that 62% of the employment will be in Belfast, Derry, Lisburn and Newry and Mourne but would express concern that it is expected that 52% of total jobs will be in Belfast and would therefore ask how the remaining 10% of the jobs/employment opportunities are allocated across the other Council areas. This clearly needs rebalanced and DRD should be supported to deliver for all.

• We welcome the recognition of the role of Derry-Londonderry in shaping future growth alongside Belfast which is borne out in the Regeneration Plan and the work that was undertaken by Oxford Economics who estimated that the potential exists to create 12,900 jobs by 2020 across a range of sectors.

• We commend DRD's aim to strengthen links between north and south, east and west, with Europe and the rest of the world. This is particularly important given the proximity of our City to the border and the history of collaboration and cross border working in the North West.

• Derry-Londonderry is well positioned and has the capacity to deliver a range of administrative functions and specialised services that are of regional significance. The proposed approach of centring on Belfast is flawed and contradicts the aspirations of a regional balance economy.

• Fort George and Ebrington, they should be designated as sites of regional and economic significance in the new RDS.

In addition the RDS 2025 needs to:

• strengthen the distinctive role of Derry City as a regional retailing centre for the North West in line with the City's Retail Strategy.

• Prioritise and maximise the strategic regeneration and economic development opportunities as identified within the City's Regeneration Plan.

• Enhance the employment potential of Derry City Centre as a regional employment hub.

• Our status as a University City should be strongly recognised together with factoring in the Growth Plan. (See Derry~Londonderry Regeneration Plan).

• Seek to focus the redistribution of existing, or new public administrative activity within the Derry as the only other Principal City in Northern Ireland.

• In addition to enhancing transport linkages, improve facilities for walking and cycling which is coordinated with infrastructure investment.

• Close the gap in the quality of life for those living in deprived areas.

• In addition to maximising the tourism potential of the City, seek to build upon and further develop the City's signature tourism destination status as well as maximising the benefits of UK City of Culture for 2013 and beyond.

• Maximise the development and regeneration potential along the Riverside Corridor to link with the Ilex opportunity sites.

• Maximise economic development opportunities at the key employment sites for example Fort George, Ebrington and sites along the A2 gateway corridor.

• Strengthen and consolidate the key regional air transportation hub at City of Derry Airport and also logistics development opportunities around Londonderry Port.

• Continuing to regenerating the City of Derry, seek to protect, promote and realise the investment value of the City's rich built heritage stock to complement with the Historic City Walls and the continued efforts to secure UNESCO cultural world heritage site status.

• In addition to building on the cross border collaboration and implementation of North West Gateway Initiative.

The Londonderry Chamber of Commerce is the largest Business Representative Business voice in the region and we commend to Government the above observations.

Finally, the above observations are not exhaustive and the Londonderry Chamber may take the opportunity to make further comments on the Department's strategic plan at a later date.