| Timeline of Events | |
| Date | Detail |
| 02/12/08 | Galliagh Development Trust send letter to Derry City Council re |
| acquisition of land | |
| 18/12/08 | Letter from John Kelpie Derry City Council, proposing DCC to |
| enter negotiations with NIHE for land as opposed to GDT | |
| 29/01/09 | Derry City Council policy & resources committee – endorse letter |
| for DCC to enter into negotiations with NIHE to acquire lands | |
| 05/03/09 | Derry city Council Environmental Services Committee authorise |
| Groundwork NI to submit planning application on behalf of | |
| Derry City Council | |
| *SDLP councillor enquires at meeting about who will consult the | |
| community | |
| 24/03/09 | Ratified by full council |
| 31/03/09 | Letter from John Kelpie Derry City Council, to Paul Bell NIHE |
| stating DCC are working with GDT on funding application | |
| 10/04/09 | Letter from Paul Bell NIHE to DCC, is prepared to request transfer |
| of land from NIHE board subject to planning approval | |
| 19/05/09 | Derry City Council Submit planning application |
| 27/05/09 | Neighbourhood notification from planning service to local residents |
| 24/06/09 | Letter from John Kelpie Derry City Council, to NIHE -Paul Bell |
| attached minutes of Policy & Resources Committee | |
| 09/07/09 | Derry City Council Environmental Services Committee meeting |
| * Planning application lodged by Derry City Council – objections | |
| mentioned | |
| * Landscape architect DCC informs Derry City Council that GDT | |
| are to employ Holywell consultancy to carry out consultation, | |
| at meeting Landscape architect at request of chairman undertakes | |
| to ensure a comprehensive consultation exercise was carried out | |
| and to report back to the committee | |
| 26/07/09 | Some homes get GDT newsletter which includes Holywell survey – |
| states on survey that it must be returned by 29th July 2009, | |
| also lists dates for consultations | |
| 27/07/09 | Announcements in papers telling of consultations |
| 27/07/09 | First of Holywell consultations meeting ends abruptly, tempers |
| flared residents unhappy with what is being presented No one | |
| from Derry City Council in attendance to explain DCC involvement | |
| 28/07/09 | Second consultation again no representative from Derry City |
| Council is in attendance to explain DCC involvement | |
| Residents are subjected to a threat at the meeting, | |
| That the person who made the threat he 'will bring a crowd of | |
| angry men up and point out every single person who is objecting | |
| this threat is covered in the media and raised with DCC | |
| 29/07/09 | 3rd Consultation Over 100 residents protest at meeting, after |
| raising issue of threat and raising concerns about project manager | |
| residents walk out no representative from Derry City Council is in | |
| attendance to explain councils involvement | |
| 06/08/2009 | Derry City Council Submit a funding application to the DSD for the |
| development | |
| 17/08/09 | Residents send email to Derry City Council via DCC website |
| asking who best to talk to from DCC in relation to DCC involvement | |
| with development | |
| 27/08/09 | Residents write to all Derry City Councillors outlining concerns |
| 28/08/09 | Residents write to Valerie Watts DCC town clerk & Chief Executive |
| outlining concerns and asking to meet with her no reply or | |
| acknowledgement is received | |
| 01/09/09 | DCC landscape Architect sends web link to tender documents but |
| does not answer original question re council involvement | |
| 01/09/09 | Residents address DCC planning meeting: |
| *Residents ask for deferral of planning permission until concerns | |
| are addressed and proper transparent consultation takes place | |
| *Residents suggest council or independent carry out consultation | |
| *Councillors raise concerns over threats and intimidation | |
| *Issue of loss of funding if project does not proceed raised, | |
| councillor states residents should not be subject to emotional | |
| blackmail | |
| *Councillor states that Derry City Council as applicant had a | |
| responsibility to consult residents | |
| *SDLP member expressed the view that an appropriate protocol | |
| needed to be put in place to ensure that proper consultation was | |
| carried out in future in respect of any planning application | |
| submitted by Council. | |
| *Member of the SDLP grouping repeated that it was important | |
| residents were consulted and stressed the need to ensure that | |
| adequate consultation was carried out prior to work proceeding | |
| *Member of the SDLP grouping pointed out that Council had | |
| approved the proposals subject to a public consultation being carried | |
| out. | |
| At The meeting Council Resolved that planning application no. | |
| A/2009/0405/F be deferred and in the meantime a meeting be | |
| arranged by Council of all the interested parties to discuss | |
| the proposals. | |
| 02/09/09 | Residents resend original request to Derry City Council asking who |
| best in DCC to contact re DCC involvement with project – no reply | |
| is given | |
| Mid Sept | Residents begin to question why no meeting of interested parties |
| as laid down in the council resolution has been arranged, as the | |
| residents who will have these facilities on their doorstep are | |
| surely the most interested party involved after making enquiries | |
| residents find out that meetings have been taking place | |
| behind closed doors by a working group set up by the Outer | |
| North Neighbourhood partnership | |
| No residents were informed of the setting up of the working group, | |
| or invited onto the working group. | |
| The first meeting of this working group was attended by | |
| Mary Bradley – MLA/Derry City Councillor and Member of the | |
| ONNP Board | |
| Cathal Crumley GDT manager & Member of the ONNP Board | |
| Colm Eastwood SDLP Councillor & member of the GDT board | |
| Betty Feeny Member of the ONNP Board | |
| Tony Hassan SF Councillor and member of the GDT Board | |
| Darren Kirby Strategy manager of the ONNP | |
| Joe Martin – Chair Galliagh Development Trust | |
| Cathal McCauley – Chair ONNP | |
| Raymond McCartney SF MLA | |
| Colin Kennedy DCC city engineers dept | |
| Paul McNaught DSD – funder of project | |
| **10 out of the 11 attendees are members of groups who are behind | |
| the proposals | |
| No minutes or records were kept of these meetings, as such | |
| residents are unable to see who attended meetings and made | |
| decisions affecting their homes by doing so | |
| ONNP breached their general terms and conditions | |
| 11/09/09 | Residents receive letter from Paul McNaught DSD stating that DCC |
| are the promoter of the project and any decision to proceed with | |
| ultimately rest with DCC | |
| Mr McNaught also states that the DSD had received a funding | |
| application from Derry City Council | |
| 20/10/09 | Residents write to Councillor Sean Carr chair of DCC planning |
| committee raising concerns that the council resolution was not | |
| fulfilled and about the meetings going on behind closed doors. | |
| Despite two of his party colleagues being active participants and a | |
| council officer involved, Councillor Carr stated he was unaware | |
| that the meetings were taking place. Telephone calls and emails | |
| between residents and Cllr Carr followed. Clr Carr states that if | |
| DCC put the planning permission through to secure funds | |
| for the playpark, the contentious element being the MUGA | |
| can be removed from the plans. | |
| OCT/2009 | A survey is carried out on behalf of the ONNP, some residents |
| refuse to participate, -(8th,9th,12th & 14th October) | |
| Residents have concerns that the Derry City Council logo is on the | |
| survey despite it not being a Derry City Council survey, residents | |
| have concerns about the impartiality of the terms of reference for the | |
| survey | |
| 15/10/09 | Letter sent to Valerie Watts seeking financial support for an |
| independent consultation/legal advisor | |
| 22/10/09 | Report from ONNP submitted to DCC city solicitor |
| 27/10/09 | Residents accompanied by legal agent Mr John Thompson of |
| Academy Consulting meet with representatives of the ONNP | |
| working group, residents are informed at the meeting by the Strategy | |
| Manager ONNP & the ONNP chairperson that they were excluded | |
| from the working group because of their objections to elements | |
| of the proposals. Residents refuse to accept this working group as | |
| a substitution for the meeting of interested parties that was to be | |
| arranged by Derry City Council. | |
| 29/10/09 | Residents write to Valerie Watts DCC town clerk & Chief Executive |
| raising their concerns, 97 complaint letters and 6 official complaint | |
| forms from residents are also submitted | |
| 29/10/09 | John Thompson – a legal agent employed by residents submits a |
| letter on their behalf to Valerie Watts Chief Executive DCC | |
| highlighting residents concerns about the working group and | |
| its findings. | |
| 03/11/09 | Derry City Council Planning Services meeting |
| *City Solicitor Mr D McMahon states that this is not a | |
| council project | |
| *Questions were raised as to why DC were the applicant, | |
| Mr McMahon stated that this was technical assistance and DCC | |
| was acting as an agent of the ONNP and were not | |
| the applicant | |
| *The Landscape architect who was DCC council lead officer | |
| involved did not attend this meeting, this was commented on by | |
| several councillors | |
| *A member of the Unionist grouping on DCC pointed out that any | |
| promoter was not required to proceed with all the elements in their | |
| planning application. | |
| 05/11/09 | Derry City Council Environmental Services Committee meeting |
| *Residents legal agent Mr John Thompson permitted to address | |
| the City Council: | |
| *Mr Thompson requested that DCC as applicant and developer not | |
| proceed with the MUGA development | |
| *City engineer stated that any delay could result in funding being | |
| lost | |
| *The city solicitor informed the meeting that the project was not a | |
| project of Derry City Council | |
| *The city solicitor explained that the project promoters (ONNP) | |
| formed a working group | |
| *The city solicitor explained the DCC was not responsible for the | |
| setting up of the working group | |
| *Again the City solicitor stated that DCC was not the promoter, | |
| & in terms of planning application was merely providing technical | |
| assistance | |
| *It was asked who paid for the planning application, DCC paid for | |
| and submitted the planning application in their name | |
| *The chairperson stated that this particular matter presented | |
| important issues in terms of democracy and the role of council | |
| when acting as an agent for neighbourhood partnerships | |
| *As a result the city Council recommended the approval of the | |
| planning application | |
| 5-6/11/09 | Question sent to DCC Landscape Architect re working group and |
| consultation, written reply requested, not given | |
| 06/11/09 | Response received from Valerie Watts DCC to John Thompson |
| letter of 29/10/09, copy of letter sent to residents who submitted | |
| complaint letters and forms on 29/10/09 | |
| *Ms Watts states that this development is not a project of | |
| Derry City Council | |
| *Ms Watts states that Derry city council are not the promoters | |
| of the project | |
| *Ms Watts states that Derry city council did not form the | |
| working group | |
| *Ms Watts states that as the ONNP had set up their | |
| working group there was little to be gained by council 'convening a | |
| meeting of all interested parties' | |
| *Ms Watts is dismissive of the council resolution of 1st Sept | |
| by stating 'whatever that might have meant precisely'. | |
| 09/11/09 | Response from Valerie Watts to request for financial assistance, |
| letter contains veiled threat re legal action by council officer. | |
| 08/11/09 | Letters & emails sent to every member of ONNP working group |
| asking why they had excluded residents from working group | |
| 10/11/09 | Derry City Council Planning Services meeting |
| *The planning committee recommended that the planning service | |
| approval for the development be passed. | |
| 17/11/09 | Residents meet with the Galliagh Development trust at their request, |
| the GDT project manager calls the entire planning process | |
| one of the most shambolic things he has ever witnessed. The | |
| meeting ends when the GDT state that they can and will continue | |
| to bring their plans forward no residents concerns are addressed | |
| Nov -to date | *Residents have been invoking the Freedom of information act to |
| try and establish the background to this development, this has been a | |
| long and ongoing process. | |
| *Residents met with Councillor Sean Carr DCC Planning committee | |
| chair and raised concerns about how Derry City Council has | |
| handled this process. | |
| They have raised concerns with the discrepancies between what | |
| was presented at council meetings, and what the documentation | |
| states | |
| Issues such as despite Derry City Council submitting and paying | |
| for the planning application insisting they were not the applicant. | |
| Despite DCC using £85000 of rate payers money and applying for | |
| £250 000 from the DSD they were not the promoter. | |
| Residents raised their concerns about the complete lack | |
| of accountability and transparency surrounding this | |
| entire development. Cllr Carr said he would try and arrange a | |
| meeting with DCC officers, however he has told residents by | |
| telephone that the lead council officer in this process | |
| had refused to meet with residents as in his opinion everything | |
| residents needed was in the freedom of information | |
| requests submitted by residents. |
