Council insist that the money will be found for a disabled access upgrade at a play park in Derry

Derry City and Strabane District Council has insisted that a planned disabled access upgrade for a local park will take place.

It was revealed this week that £30,000 in funding for the proposed upgrade at Strathfoyle Play Park had been withdrawn due to procurement issues.

The funding offer had been provided by the Department for Communities (DfC).

In November last year, the local council said the plan had been for the work on the park improvements to begin in Spring of this year.

However, it emerged on Tuesday at a meeting of the council's Business and Culture Committee that the funding for the Strathfoyle park project was no longer in place.

Aeidin McCarter, the council's Arts and Culture Manager, told the meeting that a Letter of Offer from DfC in relation to the funding for the park project and a number of other initiatives had been accepted by the council in February of this year.

However, it was required that the money be spent within the 2020/21 financial year which ended on March 31.

Mrs McCarter said that given the 'short time available and procurement challenges' faced by a number of the projects, council officers had sought an extension to the Letter of Offer into the 2021/22 financial year.

However, Mrs McCarter said DfC said there was 'no scope' to allow 2020/21 funding to be carried over into the next financial year unless projects are 'contractually committed'.

As a result, any funding offer which had been made by DfC has now been withdrawn.

The news was met with great disappointment by people living in the Strathfoyle area who had believed that the upgrade for the park was a 'done deal'.

The Derry News understands that discussions were held within the council yesterday morning in relation to how the funding for the project could be found.

Speaking later on Wednesday at a meeting of the council's Environment and Regeneration Committee, Karen Phillips, the council's Director for Environment and Regeneration, said they do not believe there will be any delay in terms of 'progress on this particular project'.

“The officers have been working hard in terms of progressing it,” she said.

“Our understanding is that a further request for a Letter of Offer will be made to DfC and will progress.

“However, should there be any issue with that, officers and council will ensure that there is provision made for the funding in relation to this issue so there will not be any delay.

“We have already arranged a meeting with the relevant members of the community to discuss this and go through it with them and give them that reassurance.”

Along with the Strathfoyle park project, the other local projects affected by the withdrawal of DfC funding due to recent procurement problems are:

- £30,000 for 'inclusive park seating' throughout the council area;
- £30,000 for an outdoor accessible hub at the Alley Theatre in Strabane;
- £20,000 for Changing Place toilet provision in Castlederg;
- £25,000 for for a mobile outdoor performance stage for use in the council area;
- £30,000 for 'accessible seating' in St Columb's Park Walled Garden

While these projects have all missed out on funding for this financial year, DfC funding has been secured for a number of other local projects.

These include £16,260 for 'The Story of Our City' project at the Tower Museum in Derry and £10,000 for a new portable stage for the Guildhall.