New Derry community centre ‘not a shared space’: claim

The DUP in Derry has raised concerns that a new community centre in the Waterside area of the city will not be a ‘shared space’, despite being listed as such by the local council.

The issue was raised at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Governance and Planning Committee during a discussion on the allocation of council funding for a number of community and leisure projects.

One the projects included in a report was the new community centre planned for Corrody Road in the Top of the Hill area, to which £35,000 is to be allocated for the appointment of a consultant team to take the project forward.

The new centre was listed in the council report as a ‘Waterside Shared Space/Regeneration Project’.

Waterside DUP councillor Drew Thompson (pictured) questioned the inclusion of the new community centre under the council’s shared space’s projects in the Waterside.

“To call it a Waterside Shared Space is pushing the boundary a bit because I don’t think that will be a shared space for one moment,” he said.

Responding, the council’s Chief Executive, John Kelpie said he ‘fully accepted’ his point, but added that the reason why the new community centre was included in the project was that it was ‘wrapped up’ in the overall masterplan for the Top of the Hill area.