Committee to decide on new Downpatrick town manager

Committee to decide on new Downpatrick town manager

11 August 2021

LOCAL politicians will next month decide if a new town centre manager will be appointed to work in Downpatrick.

Appointing a dedicated manager to work with the business community is one of a number of options that will be explored over the coming weeks, with a final report on the 

way forward due to be tabled at the September meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism Committee.

At the committee’s meeting on Monday, councillors discussed a proposal from Downpatrick councillors Gareth Sharvin, Dermot Curran and John Trainor to appoint a new manager to play a key role in the town’s economic revival post-Covid.

They argued that by liaising with the business community, the manager could help develop new initiatives and opportunities and also develop programmes aimed at supporting the future development of the town.

Over recent years, there has been significant public realm investment in Market Street and Irish Street, with details of a £220,000 revitalisation programme for the town’s Church Street unveiled recently.

The Market Street and Irish Street schemes were delivered via steering groups which had been set up including councillors, business representatives and representatives from statutory agencies.

Council officials said the schemes had a “positive impact” on Downpatrick town centre and has encouraged new private sector investment.

In addition, officials said that Downpatrick businesses were provided with an extensive support package during Covid, providing grants to help make business premises coronavirus secure, enhancing shop fronts and improve digitisation.

Currently, the so-called district electoral area forum for Downpatrick and the group’s co-ordinator provide a conduit for the local authority to engage with businesses and highlight any issues they may have.

Local authority officials insist that, to date, the organisation has found that developing initiatives in partnership with stakeholders has been extremely useful in building partnerships and securing funds to finance schemes.

Currently, there are no dedicated town centre managers employed across the district, but one was employed by the former Down Council.

Councillors were told on Monday night that a proposal to appoint a dedicated town centre manager would require extensive research and careful consideration, supported by a robust business case and discussed by the council’s powerful, Strategy, Policy and Resources Committee.

It was agreed that officials carry out a detailed options appraisal in partnership with councillors and representatives from the Downpatrick business community to look at the most suitable option going forward, one that best represents the needs of the town centre.

Work on the appraisal is to start right away with the officers’ report due to be completed within a matter of weeks.

Cllr Curran — who supports the appointment of a town centre manager — has welcomed the decision to come back with an options paper next month.

He said it was vital that the proposal was “not allowed to sit on the shelf” and that appointing a town centre manager can assist Downpatrick’s economic revival and long-term future.

“I believe that appointing a new manager has enormous potential to help revive the town at a time when ambitious plans are being advanced for the regeneration of the former Irish Street police base and a number of empty adjacent buildings,” he said.

“In my opinion, Downpatrick should have a town centre manager who can help oversee much-needed economic growth given the stranglehold the coronavirus has had on businesses across the town.”

He added: “Having someone on the ground in the town working closely with the business community is vital moving forward.”