£1M GRANT COULD PUT STRABANE BACK ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY!

SDLP Representative Liam Stewart, who is also a Strabane Town Forum Member has welcomed the council’s application for £150,000 of DSD funding to help revitalise and rejuvenate Strabane town centre and will also redevelop eligible commercial premises. The DSD Regeneration grant if successful will pump £1m into the rejuvenation of Strabane District across seven years and could potentially put Strabane well on the road to recovery.  There have also been other applications for further funding to help rejuvenate the town centre.  These exciting regeneration initiatives will see the town centres invigorated by a multitude of proposals including:

- Directional Signage;
- Shop Front improvements;
- Environmental Improvements

We in the SDLP believe that towns and town centres are a defining feature and a vital resource for the North. They provide considerable social and economic benefits and even improve the quality of life which is why the SDLP believe efforts must be made now!

Mr Stewart continued, I believe that towns and town centres are the beating hearts of Ireland and Irish life. The recognition and importance of towns, and in particular town centres, to not only the economic but the cultural and social lives of so many communities has been a long time coming. Now that political attention is focussed on them, Northern Irelands towns have an opportunity to promote positive change, through innovative policy initiatives and appropriate radical thinking.

Yet, there is quite a bit of catching up that needs to take place. Many of our town centres are either in a state of arrested decay or suffering accelerating decline. Recent efforts in creating the town centre forum and application of available DSD funding is greatly appreciated but much more is needed to turn the rhetoric, and our ambitions, into a reality we in Strabane can be rightly proud of.

It is the SDLP’s belief that, we have to rethink and re-invigorate our town centres. We have to reimagine and redefine their roles. We have to ask fundamental questions as to their function and place in modern society and then decide how we look at, and after, them. Thus, we have to ensure that:

 •All action promoting town centre activity is co-ordinated and concerted
 •We measure where we are, assess what works and dump what does not.
 •Funding streams are repositioned and focused to drive activity within town centres.
 •Local solutions are encouraged, tried and supported.
 •Policies for our district town centres are aligned and implemented.

Joe Byrne MLA said: “if the funding is secured it will be a fantastic boost to the area and will enable a wide range of dynamic and forward thinking projects to proceed, bringing huge benefits to Strabane and its residents. Not only will the funding transform our town centres and surrounding areas it will also attract and encourage visitors and tourists to the area and help local businesses grow and thrive – bringing benefits all round.”