Work is ongoing to establish a £1 billion Belfast Region City Deal.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is one of six local authorities working together for the City Deal, a key investment programme to improve infrastructure, digital connectivity, tourism assets and innovation hubs as well as delivering a major skills programme.

So far, the council has submitted a number of strategic infrastructure, tourism, innovation & digital projects as part of their local proposition. The partner councils are also part of a Belfast Region City Deal Joint Council Forum and Programme Board, and along with Elected Members and Chief Executives from all of the participating councils, recently participated in a workshop hosted by Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council to discuss and further refine the overarching City Deal proposition.

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The workshop was led by former Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson, who in the past has successfully secured ad delivered UK City Deals.

A timeline has been set for the Belfast Region City Deal to be finalised by the end of September, ahead of the Chancellors statement in November.

The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Uel Mackin, said: "The Council is very pleased to be part of this exciting initiative, and working with the other Belfast Region City Deal Partners, we have a vision to create ‘more and better jobs’ across all of the region’s growth sectors, pushing the ‘fast-forward’ button on economic growth in the Belfast Region and ensuring that these opportunities are accessible across all of our communities, with a balanced spread of benefits across all of the partner Council areas including Lisburn & Castlereagh."

Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive of the Council, added: "Elected Members and Chief Executives are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the Belfast Region City Deal delivers a great deal for Lisburn & Castlereagh.

"In short the Belfast Region City Deal will be a game changer in terms of delivering on the Councils economic ambitions, and the Council wants to ensure that local citizens are best positioned to reap the rewards."

(LM/MH)