Derry City and Strabane District Council

The committee considered and approved a change of use from a dwelling to office accommodation for the Samaritans at 16 Buncrana Road, Derry. Officers concluded that the proposal met the relevant planning policies despite objections, mainly because the service would be discreet, telephone-based, and involve no drop-in or face-to-face attendance. A condition was also recommended to limit the nature of the use.

The council agreed in principle to procure external support for internal audit because the internal audit team has been operating below full complement since January and may not deliver the agreed audit plan. Officers intend to obtain quotations from local providers for two or three audits, potentially on a call-off basis, and will bring a further report on costs before appointment.

The committee approved the new Ulster University teaching and student centre, a significant capital project estimated at £30 million and expected to support more than 160 construction jobs. The development is part of the university’s wider expansion to 10,000 students and will include lecture theatres, teaching rooms, labs, student services and social learning spaces. This is a clear capital spending commitment with likely construction and professional-services procurement implications.

Officers sought approval to replace end-of-life pay-and-display machines in council car parks. The replacement programme is budgeted at about £130,000, funded from repairs, renewals and maintenance budgets, and will add contactless payment functionality while preparing for future ANPR capability if legislation changes.

Officers sought approval to apply to Sport NI’s Get Active NI 2026/27 programme, delivered in partnership with the London Morrison Foundation, to increase participation in sport and physical activity among inactive or underrepresented residents. The report states the maximum award available to the council is £51,000.

Council approved awarding its occupational health services contract to Optima Health after a tender process. The current contract was due to expire on 31 July and the new arrangement is valued at about £43,544 per annum, similar to the previous three years.

The council largely focused on major summer events and their economic and community impact, while also surfacing several operational pressures and follow-up actions. Key procurement-related issues included support for festivals and tourism promotion, the need for traffic/parking management at large events, cross-border environmental planning around Mean Bog, heritage-building safety works and street closure on Pump Street, and a potential lobbying effort to extend the HMO CLOOUD/use period from five to ten years. Members also raised the need for stronger consultation and governance around the stadium/Brandywell issue and for better maintenance arrangements with DFI in public realm areas.

The meeting’s main substantive item was a motion to create a stained-glass memorial window in the Guildhall for victims and survivors of mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. Members unanimously supported the proposal, emphasising survivor consultation, remembrance, and the need to avoid causing further trauma. There were also brief follow-ups on responses to earlier motions, including school toilet access, special educational needs placements, classroom assistants, and teacher workload sustainability, with members asking that responses be circulated and, in one case, that a school visit be arranged.