Recovery from the COVID pandemic will be an opportunity to rebalance previous regional inequality towards the north-west, Alliance Foyle representative Rachael Ferguson, has said.

Councillor Ferguson, recently selected by local party members as Alliance’s representative for the constituency, said the legacy of decades of under-investment in the Foyle could be changed as we emerge from COVID.

“Traditionally, the north-west has received numerous commitments over the years, promising all sorts but in reality delivering very little,” she said.

“The latest commitment was for the target of 10,000 student places at the Magee campus of the Ulster University, which we have now been told may not be achievable due to the current funding model for higher education. When added to the crumbling road infrastructure across Foyle and the historic ignoring of the local airport and port, and it is easy to see why the belief in regional inequality exists.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, there is a chance to change how things have been done in the past. Foyle can be a net beneficiary of that – the City Deal in particular can spark the economic and social revival of the entire north-west.

“We have the opportunity to showcase our constituency as a hub for business, a leader in tackling climate change and a place where people want to come to work, live and visit. Let’s not return to the same old and lets’ stop letting the north-west down.”