By Ryan Sands
Work on a £2.9m Downpatrick public realm scheme will begin this summer.
On Thursday, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons confirmed that the scheme’s contractors, John McQuillan Contracts Ltd, are now liaising with consultants AECOM to get the Church Street and De Courcy Place works under way in the coming months.
The scheme — which has received £2.5m in funding from the Department for Communities (DfC) and £400,000 from council — will take in from Pillar Well Lane to the Scotch Street junction on Church Street, and from the Church Street junction to the frontage of Denvir’s Hotel on De Courcy Place/Lower English Street.
It will include new footpath surfacing that comprises granite paving with natural stone kerbs, tactile paving for pedestrian crossings, replacement traffic signals, street furniture planters, new street trees and new streetlights.
Mr Lyons said that he is “pleased that work to improve this historic part of Downpatrick will soon be commencing”.
“This major investment will complement previously completed schemes within Downpatrick and will help unlock wider physical and social regeneration within the town centre to encourage more visitors and tourists to the area, providing a welcome boost for the local economy,” he added.
Council chairperson Philip Campbell stated that the investment is “long overdue” and represents “a great opportunity to further boost the overall regeneration and growth of the town.”
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