By Ryan Sands
“THIS motion is about taking practical steps to help bring more life back into Downpatrick, support local jobs and create confidence in the town’s future.”
Those were the words of local councillor Conor Galbraith (SDLP) after his proposal to take steps to bolster Downpatrick’s economy was agreed by a council committee on Monday.
The local representative’s notice of motion initially centred round the town’s night-time economy, though this was expanded on by members of the Economy, Regeneration and Tourism Committee to holistically focus on the town’s economy as a whole and for similar actions to be applied to both Newcastle and Newry.
On the back of his proposal to appoint “a night-time economy champion with a specific initial focus on the regeneration and sustainability of the night-time economy in Downpatrick”, a committee report made two recommendations.
These were for the council to “engage with Downpatrick Regeneration Working Group to host an engagement event with local businesses and relevant agencies to scope an action plan for the development of Downpatrick’s night-time economy” and to “engage with Belfast City Council to develop proposals for a Purple Flag accreditation for Downpatrick”.
Beginning the discussion, Cllr Galbraith said that his motion was “ultimately about developing a clear and deliverable action plan for Downpatrick’s night-time economy – one that is ambitious, but realistic and rooted in the needs of the town”.
“I fully recognise that there will be challenges along the way,” he continued.
“Regenerating a night-time economy is not something that happens overnight.”
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