Mayor of Derry and Strabane council Hilary McClintock
MEMBERS of Derry City and Strabane District Council today agreed to engage with stakeholders to prepare an Impact Assessment for the Council area and wider North West region following the Brexit EU Referendum.
As part of the recommendation members agreed to appoint relevant specialist contributors to assist with the study.
Explaining the rationale for the impact study, the chairperson Mayor Alderman Hilary McClintock said the Impact Assessment Study will support the delivery of the three Regional Development Pillars of Regional Economic Growth and Investment, Regional Physical and Environment Development and Regional Social and Community Cohesion and Well Being set out in the NW Strategic Group Partnership arrangements.
She explained that the analysis will be of value in working towards the achievement of the Community Plan’s vision of a thriving, prosperous and sustainable City and District with equality of opportunity for all.
Council Chief Executive John Kelpie said the impact assessment study was important to allow the Council and the wider North West region to inform local mitigation and opportunities maximisation measures and to provide a robust evidence-based evaluation for lobbying, funding and other purposes.
He said that he envisaged that the study would address issues such as a macroeconomic analysis of the North West City Region, identifying its key characteristics; analysis of the high-level risks to the region; sectoral and location alanalysis of the impact of UK withdrawal from the EU; and identification of potential mitigation and opportunity maximisation measures and an action plan.
He said he felt it was important that Council in its civic leadership role, co-ordinates this research and engages proactively with key stakeholders in order to develop an informed strategic analysis.
Among the stakeholders identified to be part of the study are Donegal County Council, Ulster University including its Economic Policy Centre, NWRC and LYIT, Strabane, Derry and Letterkenny Chambers of Commerce, major employers in the North West Region and key community partners.
