Dungannon 'Masterplan' unveiled

A VISION of what Dungannon Town Centre will look like in decades to come is on its way.

A VISION of what Dungannon Town Centre will look like in decades to come is on its way. The Department for Social Development (DSD) has joined forces with Dungannon Borough Council to prepare a Masterplan that will outline a framework for future development in the town centre.

It is expected that the blueprint will be finalised in the Autumn following a period of public consultation and it is hoped it will act as a catalyst for the development and regeneration of the town centre in the next five to 10 years. The Masterplan will create a new vision and provide guidance on the nature, scale and timing of work to restructure and redevelop the town centre, identifying key vacant and underused sites and the most appropriate type of development. The plan will also highlight where it would be necessary to acquire land and property.

The Masterplan will also consider issues such as car parking, access and transportation and all this will be collated to form an action plan identifying short, medium and longer-term goals. While DSD has responsibility for urban regeneration, it will work with a number of other relevant organisations such as Roads Service, Planning Service, Environment Agency, Housing Executive, Dungannon District Council and Dungannon Regeneration Partnership. Town Development Manager, Mr Paul McCreedy, said a lot was achievable through the Masterplan: "With the support of the Council, a strong robust business case was submitted to DSD and the department has approved funding for a master-planning process which will commence early 2009 and should be completed within nine months of start date. "Key to developing the plan will be getting input from local people and the buy-in from statutory agencies." Mr McCreedy said that while the Masterplan was visionary, it would also be practical and realistic and outline an action plan for what is achievable in the short, medium and long term. Local Dungannon Regeneration Partnership Chairman and town councillor, Cllr Walter Cuddy said the Masterplan would be acting as a blueprint for the benefit of Dungannon.