Councillors break their holidays to discuss Magee controversy

Derry councillors were today brought back from their holidays to discuss the recent controversy over expansion plans at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster.

Derry City Council is in recess for the month of August.

However, a specially-organised meeting was held in the Guildhall this afternoon to discuss the recent announcement by the Higher Education Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, that the Magee expansion plans were ‘off the table’ for the foreseeable future.

The Minister blamed proposed budget cuts for his decision.

However, following the angry reaction to the indefinite postponement of the expansion plans, Dr Farry met a delegation from Derry last week to discuss the issue.

After the meeting, the Minister said he would ‘scrutinise’ any business plan which came forward in relation to expansion at Magee.

It was revealed at today’s meeting in the Guildhall that a business case for the planned expansion of the Magee campus will be submitted to the Northern Ireland Executive this week.

Among those who spoke at today's meeting was Professor Deirdre Heenan, Provost of the Magee campus.

Professor Heenan (pictured above) said the University of Ulster remained committed to the expansion of the local campus and revealed that the university still wishes to buy land at Northland Road which is to be vacated when Foyle College moves to a new site in the Waterside.

She said it was important that education, political and business organisations work together to ensure that higher education was not seen as an ‘easy target’ for cuts.

Derry’s Mayor, Brenda Stevenson, said the city had to speak with ‘one voice’ in its support for expansion at the Magee campus.

“We cannot let down another generation of young people and it will not happen on my watch,” she said.

See Thursday’s Derry News for an extensive report on today’s special meeting.