RSUA Responds to DfI Living With Water in Derry/Londonderry Plan

07/04/2025

In January 2025, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) launched a consultation seeking views on its Living With Water in Derry/Londonderry Draft Plan.

The draft Plan aims to protect against flooding by managing water flow, improve the environment through efficient wastewater management, and create enhanced “blue/green” spaces that benefit local communities.

It also seeks to support economic growth by ensuring sufficient capacity in drainage and wastewater systems to accommodate new developments, including housing construction.

The consultation closed on Monday, 7 April. RSUA formed a response and particularly wishes to thank members Simon Adeyinka and Paul McGarvey for their input.

RSUA Response

Points from our response to the consultation include:

• A commitment to increase provision for foul sewage treatment is essential but absent from the ‘Living with Water Aims’ that underpin the proposals of this Plan.
• DfI’s recognition of the requirement for additional sewage treatment opportunities should now be translated into more detailed proposals for new infrastructure.
• DfI should focus on ensuring roads incorporate a higher degree of natural drainage to reduce the amount of runoff entering the wastewater system.
• DfI has made its partner organisations responsible for funding and delivering the Plan. We believe the Department will find it difficult to commit to new solutions if they fall outside its direct control.
• The Plan currently lacks any costing.
• The Plan is not linked to a meaningful timeframe.

Our full response can be viewed here.

If you have any questions regarding the Living With Water in Derry/Londonderry Draft Plan, or RSUA’s response to it, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk