Issues and SWOT

strength

Housing approval includes shared facilities

Springtown approval includes a community centre and junction works as well as affordable homes.

Proposed response: Keep these commitments visible alongside housing delivery.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

The average home price is £189,000 (July 2026) in Derry City and Strabane council area. This is about £13,000 lower than the Northern Ireland average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.6% in Skeoge to 42.1% in Northland — a gap of 34.5 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

weakness

Riverfront improvements still need a design

The reviewed Central Riverfront announcement had no prepared plans.

Proposed response: Turn residents’ access problems into a tested design.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

9.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Derry City and Strabane council area (21 March 2021). Across Northern Ireland, the figure was 7.7%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.7% in Culmore to 17.2% in City Walls — a gap of 12.5 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

opportunity

Connect riverfront improvements to daily routes across the Foyle

Central Riverfront work is at early engagement before designs, while the DNA Museum is under development at Ebrington.

The riverfront offers a chance to improve connections to existing places and the planned museum. Early engagement should shape routes before designs become fixed.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2

opportunity

Deliver Springtown’s community facilities alongside its homes

The housing approval includes a community centre and road improvements, not only dwellings.

Proposed response: Track the supporting infrastructure and affordable tenures through delivery.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

16% of people in Derry City and Strabane council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 5.4% in Skeoge to 31.4% in Madam's Bank — a gap of 26 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

29.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Derry City and Strabane council area. Across Northern Ireland, the figure was 32.1%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 13.1% in Culmore to 40.4% in Brandywell — a gap of 27.3 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Derry City and Strabane council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

threat

Museum forecasts can change

The museum opening expectation changed from spring to summer 2027 between reviewed releases.

Proposed response: Publish a clear delivery sequence and retain the previous forecast.

Evidence