Derry and Strabane City Deal to go ahead

The Derry and Strabane city and growth deal will go ahead, the finance minister has confirmed.

Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Caoimhe Archibald said a deal signing would "hopefully take place as planned this week".

City deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than £1.5bn with about £600m coming from central government.

Secretary of State Hilary Benn posted on X that he "looks forward to signing the financial terms of the Derry City and Strabane Deal - in the coming days".

The UK government had paused funding for the deals ahead of the UK spending review which provoked outrage among Northern Ireland's leaders, including First Minister Michelle O'Neill who described it as "deplorable".

There are four deals in Northern Ireland: the Belfast City region, Derry City and Strabane, Mid South West region, and Causeway Coast and Glens.

Archibald said she was "continuing to press for the other deals", which she described as "game changers for regions across the north, creating jobs and boosting local economies".

O'Neill said she had spoken with the secretary of state and urged that the same approach be taken with the other City Deals and projects like Casement Park.

"These will be major economic boosters for our local economy and should go ahead," she said on X, formerly Twitter.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We understand the importance of the Derry City and Strabane Deal, which is at a very advanced stage.

"The UK government is committed to continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this deal, to enable it to deliver growth and opportunity.”

Projects planned as part of the £300m budget include:

• Redevelopment of Strabane town centre
• A centre for innovation in data analytics, advanced manufacturing and robotics
• A digital programme to tackle connectivity issues across the region
• Establishment of a DNA museum in Derry's Ebrington site
• Regeneration projects for Derry's riverfront, Strand Road and Walled City areas
• The establishment of a School of Medicine and personalised medicine innovation centre at a new site opposite the city's council buildings

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood, from the SDLP, said he had been engaging with senior Cabinet minister in the Treasury and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

"I am glad that we have made progress over the last 24 hours and have received confirmation that the Derry city deal will continue as planned.

"This is a good start and we have more work to do," he added.