Conservation plans to regenerate town street

Conservation plans to regenerate town street

22 March 2017

THE regeneration of Irish Street in Downpatrick has taken a significant step forward.

A conservation architect has been appointed to prepare a submission for Heritage Lottery funding to pave the way for a new townscape scheme to help with the transformation of the area.

A special information event is being held tomorrow night at the St Patrick Centre at 6pm to provide residents, business and property owners at this historic part of the town with an opportunity to discuss the proposed scheme with the architect.

Grants ranging from £100,000 to £2m are available for approved projects which meet designated criteria, with the Newry, Mourne and Down Council keen to form a partnership with property owners in Irish Street in a bid to secure some of the money up for grabs.

The conservation architect who will help prepare the funding submission has been appointed by the local authority which is keen to see Irish Street transformed following the closure of the former PSNI base and the removal of the heavily fortified blast wall which dominated the landscape for decades.

Downpatrick town centre featured heavily in a so-called public realm and revitalisation scheme a number of years ago, but Irish Street was not included in the multi-million pound initiative.

Local Dermot Curran, is keen to see the refurbishment of a number of derelict properties adjacent to the former police base and hopes applications for Heritage Lottery funding will be successful.

“The economic and environmental regeneration of Irish Street must be a key priority,” he said. “Many people will be delighted an architect has been appointed to firm up an application for funding and I hope it will be successful.

“The removal of the blast wall has restored a sense of normality to Irish Street where there are a number of key heritage buildings which many would like to see restored to their former glory. As Irish Street missed out on the public realm scheme completed a number of years ago, it is important funding is made available to allow for its regeneration.”

Councillor Curran hopes money can be secured to allow existing businesses to improve their shop fronts and complement the overall regeneration of Irish Street.

“Investing money in this part of the town could act as a catalyst to secure private sector finance which would provided an added boost to an area which has largely been starved of investment for decades,” he suggested.

Councillor Curran hopes Irish Street residents and those who live in surrounding estates, including Lynn Doyle Place, will also  benefit from any new regeneration initiative.

He added: “Given the focus on regeneration, it is important that solving traffic congestion forms part of any future plan for Irish Street. Transport NI previously suggested providing two lanes at the bottom of Irish Street, with the inner lane facilitating drivers wishing to turn left into Market Street.

“To provide a second lane would only require lines being painted on the road which would be a nominal expense. 

However, it could help improve traffic flow at one of the busiest streets in the town centre.”