Plans for more than 2,000 new homes in L'Derry are set to progress as Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, announced £11million in additional funding designed to unlock vital wastewater capacity across the city.

This investment, secured through June Monitoring, is set to enable over 2,000 new connections for the H2 project and an additional 1,000 in the Waterside area over the next two to three years.

During a visit to Derry, Minister Kimmins stated: "I am determined to do all that I can to unlock wastewater capacity across the whole of the North. I have secured additional funding in June monitoring which will help release capacity to enable around 3,000 new connections for the city in the years to come." He noted that a cross-departmental working group, led by his department and collaborating with NI Water and the NI Housing Executive, has identified a range of housing projects to address wastewater capacity for connections, including those in the Derry area. The Minister highlighted the cumulative impact of recent investments. "This means since Autumn 2024 my Department has been able to unlock wastewater capacity to enable future wastewater connections for almost 5,000 new homes, with 2,300 new wastewater connections already enabled through the allocation of an additional £19.5 million to NI Water from October monitoring," he explained.

Beyond direct funding, Minister Kimmins also pointed to innovative solutions. "As I announced last week, additional funding is just one approach. NI Water’s application of innovative solutions to wastewater treatment in Newry will also connect another 400 properties to the network and unlocking vital economic growth for the region. I am encouraged that the company is seeking to develop this innovation for other areas in the North where getting connections is an issue."

Acknowledging ongoing challenges, the Minister affirmed his commitment to a three-pronged plan to address water and wastewater issues. This involves working with Executive colleagues to secure necessary funding, progressing a recently closed consultation on developer contributions, and introducing a SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) bill to the Assembly.

Minister Kimmins concluded: "This development in Derry and recent innovative work in Newry demonstrate what is possible. Working in partnership with NI Water and others, I will continue to take every opportunity we have to ensure wastewater connections are available to support the development of housing and the wider economy."