Local businesses invited to Covid Recovery and Revitalisation Event

The local business community in Derry and Strabane are being invited to give their input to the proposed interventions to encourage people to come back into the Council area's city and town centres when restrictions ease.

The Business Engagement session will be hosted online at 9am on Thursday March 11^th and will include a presentation of the proposals and a wider discussion about the plans.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Brian Tierney, urged local businesses to sign up for the event to give their input into the final plans and learn how they can tailor their own offering to complement the strategy.

"Council are currently in the process of drawing up a number of potential interventions that could be implemented in both Derry City and Strabane Town Centres to assist with Covid Recovery and Revitalisation," he explained. "The proposals are designed to assist the wider recovery effort to attract people back into our town/city centres when it is safe to do so, to increase footfall and assist in supporting and sustaining local businesses.  

"As part of this process, Council has commissioned urban designers to prepare high-level concept designs which illustrate how certain streets, including Bishop  Street, the Diamond and Waterloo Street and Castle Street in Strabane might look and function.  

"We will also look at further proposed plans for Waterloo Place, Queens Quay and Police Court Street in Derry.

"This event is an opportunity to learn more about those plans and to contribute to the wider discussion about how businesses can work together to drive the recovery forward later this year."

The event will be chaired by Jim Roddy, Chief Executive of the City Centre Initiative and include a presentation on the Covid Recovery and Revitalisation Programme by Tony Monaghan, Regeneration Manager at DCSDC.

Paul McNaught from the North West Development Office will speak on behalf of funders the Department for Communities while there will be an overview of the Street Life Plan by Chris Upson, OGU Architects.

Festival and Events Manager from Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jacqueline Whoriskey, will be providing an update of the forthcoming ‘Inside Out’ Animation programme.

The open discussion for those in attendance will be facilitated by Jim Roddy while closing Remarks will be made by Londonderry Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Clancy.

Interested business can learn more about registration at https://www.derrystrabane.com/Business/Recovery/Regeneration