News

Dungannon town centre is to benefit from a £1.8 million regeneration scheme which will see improvements made to the Market Square and Castle Hill areas of the town.

The extensive funding project was announced last week by the Department for Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie who said: "I am pleased to make this announcement for Dungannon today. This investment will benefit the town centre greatly. The scheme will not only see much improvement to the appearance of the centre of the town, but will allow a better use of the Market Square for a wide range of activities".

The scheme will involve changes to the traffic circulation system, better use of the space for civic events, new street furniture and hard and soft landscaping. It has also been designed to compliment and enhance Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council's £2.2 million development of Castle Hill as an environmental heritage site and it is hoped that construction will commence early in 2009.

Commenting on the funding, Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council Barry Monteith told the Courier: " I strongly welcome this much needed funding and would like to pay tribute to the council which lobbied hard at DSD to secure it. It is very important now that traders and residents become involved in the process of delivering this project for the benefit of all."

Councillor Walter Cuddy, Chairman of Dungannon Regeneration Partnership (DRP) also welcomed the announcement : "It is brilliant news for Dungannon town centre in that with the Castle Hill major development project also moving forward, we now have an opportunity to really make a difference to the infrastructure and overall image of Dungannon town. This I believe is another significant hurdle navigated in the strategic plan we set out within the Dungannon Regeneration Partnership, supported by Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council to make Dungannon a vibrant, competitive town with a distinctive identity and character focused on Castle Hill.

Source: Tyrone Courier
Date: Wednesday, 26 March 2008