Derry City Council

“Sinn Féin were not in court today. Councillor Kelly was, and he was acquitted of all charges.”

Pete Baker on July 20, 2015, 3:12 pm

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Entirely unrelated to Sinn Féin’s opposition to welfare reform… Last week a Deputy District Magistrate in Londonderry acquitted Sinn Féin Councillor Colin Kelly on charges of fraudulently claiming over £19,000 in Housing Benefit and Job Seekers Allowance between November 2010 and March 2014 – when he was a member of Derry City Council. He is currently a councillor on the new Derry City and Strabane District Council for which the basic allowance is £14,200 p.a. – up from the previous allowance of £9,835 a …

Bloody Sunday Memorial Row: “This is nothing to do with politics whatsoever…”

Pete Baker on January 31, 2015, 8:02 pm

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A row has broken out in Londonderry over the design of a new Bloody Sunday memorial window in the Guildhall. The window was commissioned, at a maximum cost of £17,000, in May 2014 to replace the previous memorial window, which was installed in 1986, following complaints from some of the families of the Bloody Sunday victims. A spokesperson for Derry City Council said they had listened carefully to the views of the Bloody Sunday families. “To this end Derry City Council …

“This issue regarding Mute Meadow resides with Ilex.”

Pete Baker on June 15, 2012, 4:15 pm

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Apparently, there’s a problem with the £800,000 public artwork, “Mute Meadow“, in Londonderry. Although it’s not entirely clear what the “issue” actually is. It was supposed to have been ‘switched on’ on 25 June 2011. The permanent public installation, designed by Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier, was announced as the winner of the Foyle Public Arts Project in 2009. From the BBC report Vong Phaophanit, Turner prize nominee and his co-creator, Claire Oboussier, have commented on the issue. “‘The protracted process in …

Derry City Council finally pay their [ground rent] debt

Pete Baker on February 15, 2012, 7:44 pm

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As they promised at the time, the BBC report an update on Derry City Council’s attempt to frustrate the legacy of Raymond Saville Conolly de Montmorency Lecky-Browne-Lecky. After his death in 1961 the amateur actor’s dying wish was that two charities, the Actors’ Charitable Trust and the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, would benefit from revenues from his estate – including the ground rents from properties he owned in Londonderry. One of the ground rents involved was for the City Swimming Baths on William Street, run …

“The restoration of this beautiful building, due to be completed in….”

Pete Baker on December 3, 2011, 4:14 pm

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Another example of the kind of openness, transparency, and forward-planning that makes Derry City Council the local government it is… They’re moving to facilitate restoration work. And the BBC reports that the £3million Guildhall Restoration Project, on which work began in August 2010, is not expected to allow the 19th Century Guildhall to re-open until Spring 2013 – well into Londonderry’s year-long reign as the first UK City of Culture. From the BBC report The Mayor of Derry, Alderman Maurice Devenney, …

Derry City Council to meet charities over £10,000 ground rent debt

Pete Baker on November 22, 2011, 8:07 pm

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The latest BBC report promises to keep us up to date with any developments on the story of Raymond Saville Conolly de Montmorency Lecky-Browne-Lecky’s legacy to two charities – the Actors’ Charitable Trust and the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund. After his death in 1961 the amateur actor’s dying wish was that the charities would benefit from revenues from his estate – including the ground rents from properties he owned in Londonderry. There’s an account of his funeral here, an account of the auction …

“good fences make good neighbours”

Pete Baker on March 4, 2011, 3:27 pm

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Boundary issues of a different kind feature in another Belfast Telegraph report, although the BBC version seems to play it down somewhat… Derry City Council have agreed to apply for planning permission for a 1.8 metre high, 170 metre long, “fence” at an “interface” at the playing fields at Lisnagelvin in Londonderry – the UK’s City of Culture for 2013. According to the Belfast Telegraph report A litany of incidents at the interface, including sectarian abuse, stone throwing, attacks on the …