Construction has begun on a £13 million regeneration project at Meenan Square in Derry, funded by the Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative. First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly attended a ceremony on site to mark the start of work.

The scheme will deliver new homes, community facilities, commercial space and a renewed public square. Apex Housing Association is leading delivery of the project, which chairperson Liam Hannaway said followed years of community engagement and collaboration.

The ministers also met business representatives at the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce to discuss regional economic growth. Anna Doherty, the chamber’s chief executive, raised the expansion of the Magee campus and challenges facing cross-border workers as priorities for the North West.

The visit concluded at Foyle Hospice, where the ministers spoke with staff and volunteers about the palliative, day therapy and bereavement services provided to patients and families across the Western Trust area. Chief executive Donall Henderson emphasised the importance of community support for the hospice’s work.

Ms O’Neill said the Executive was committed to supporting inclusive growth and helping Derry and the wider North West realise their potential through investment in jobs and communities.

Ms Little-Pengelly described the Meenan Square project as a milestone, saying it would create a vibrant shared space. She also praised local business leaders for driving economic growth and hospice staff for the care they provide.