DRP REVIEWS ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007 AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Publish Date: Friday, 01 February 2008
PRESS RELEASE
DRP REVIEWS ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007 AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Dungannon Regeneration Partnership (DRP) has held its AGM in the Library, Market Square. The Partnership, which was set up by the Council in 2000 comprises of representatives from the public, private and community/voluntary sectors with a remit to encourage the regeneration, development and prosperity of Dungannon town.
The following officers were elected as office bearers for 2008 - Cllr Walter Cuddy (Chairman), Cllr Barry Monteith (Vice Chairman), Sean Stewart (Secretary) and Niall Maneely (Treasurer).
Since the launch of the Dungannon Regeneration Strategy in 2002, DRP in conjunction with the Council has been actively rolling out a number of initiatives and projects at furthering the social, economic and physical regeneration of the town. Chairman Cllr Walter Cuddy submitted a report on the success of the partnership and detailed an impressive list of achievements during 2007 including the challenges and issues that lie ahead.
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
"Over the last year the focus of our work has been on continuing to implement and drive forward a number of regeneration programmes and projects contained in our broader strategy. Largely I can report success in respect of this work and the success is evidenced as follows.
Strategic Review of Dungannon Strategy: 2016
In September DRP embarked upon a strategic review of the committee's progress in terms of implementing the Dungannon Regeneration Strategy over the last 5 years, with a view to refocusing the committee's efforts and revising its strategic objectives and programmes of work.
A draft report and Strategic Action Plan have been developed which will provide the focus and work agenda for DRP in the next 3-5 years.
One of the key priority issues clearly identified is the need for a Town Centre Masterplan to secure a greater joined up approach with government to bring into productive use a number of public and privately owned sites/properties in the town. In order to achieve this, the Partnership requires the commitment of DSD to prepare a Masterplan for the town which would commit the department and other agencies to action. With the support of the Council, work is due to commence on preparing a strong robust case to be presented to DSD in March.
DSD Good Practice Guide
In September the DSD Minister launched a good practice guide entitled 'Vital and Viable' which provides practical advice on approaches to the future regeneration of towns and cities. It is very encouraging that the document endorsed the model of Dungannon Regeneration Partnership as an example of good practice in Partnership Working.
ATCM NI Awards / Good Practice Guide 2007
DRP won a Commendation under the category "Enhancing the Retail Offer" for both the Retail Management Development Programme for Owner/Managers and the Retail Training for Unemployed Initiative. As such the project was included in the NIATCM Good Practice Guide 2007.
DSD Town Centre Reinvigoration Programme
Completing a Spruce-up scheme at Church Lane and Wilson's Lane in the town centre. The scheme has involved the refurbishment of two areas in the town requiring paving refurbishment, painting installation of street furniture, lighting and associated landscaping works.
Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI)
The final scheme at 20,22,24 Church Street has commenced and should be completed in the next three months which will signal the end of the THI in Dungannon.
Public Realm Scheme
Having agreed in principle a scheme design, an Economic Appraisal was submitted to and approved by the Department for Social Development (DSD) for a £4.7M public realm scheme. More recently the document was approved by the Department of Finance and Personnel and it critical that we work with council to press DSD to ensure Dungannon is included in the next round of funding.
LOTS Programme
The LOTS Steering Committee has continued to work steadily to provide advice, assistance and publicity/promotion of the scheme to property owners.
I am pleased to report that schemes are currently underway at 59 and 63 Scotch Street, 64 Irish Street and 28 Church Street.
Traffic and Parking Issues
A positive meeting was held with officers from DRD Roads Service to review the current parking and waiting restrictions in the town centre which were introduced in 2005 in anticipation of Decriminalised parking enforcement, as well as a number of other issues affecting traffic management and congestion in the town.
It is vitally important to ensure Roads Service are held to account and advised of areas and issues that need to be addressed.
In order to contain parking penalties, the Partnership using funding secured from the Interreg IIIA Programme hopes to publish an information leaflet to educate members of the public on parking in the town centre. I feel this will be a very useful piece of work.
Interreg IIIA Cross Border Retail Development Programme
DRP and more importantly the town has benefited from funding and support under the above programme which is part financed by the European Union through the Interreg IIIA Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by East Border Region Interreg IIIA Partnership. A Cross Border Joint Steering Committee is now up and running and the project aims to rejuvenate and regenerate the retail centres of Dungannon town, Armagh City, and Monaghan town as well as facilitate the growth of retail support organisations in each area through joint cross border collaboration.
This has been partly achieved by providing business training specifically for retailers, supporting key events such as the Spooktacular and encouraging networking and sharing of experiences across the three areas as well as joint marketing initiatives to raise the profile of the city/town centres both to the local population and beyond. This included a joint TV Christmas Campaign. Looking ahead, the Project will progress a retail development strategy for the region until 2010 which will form the basis of a funding application under Interreg IV.
DungannonLIFE
DunganonLIFE was formed from the amalgamation of the DRP Marketing & Promotions Sub-committee. With the support of the Interreg IIIA Cross Border Retail Development Programme, it is planned to hold a number of 'street meetings' to build awareness and recruit more retailers onto the committee.
The Committee has worked hard to improve and enhance the profile of Dungannon at a local and regional level by implementing a number of successful initiatives in 2007, to name but a few: -
Summer Marketing Campaign
Heritage Trail Guided Tours
FOTE Window Dressing Competition
Halloween Spooktacular Event
Christmas Promotional Campaign
Distribution of promotional literature
Development of DungannonLife website to WAI Level 2 Accessibility Benchmark
In order to further promote the business sector on the DungannonLife website it is proposed to develop an on-line business directory for town businesses which would be kept up to date on a regular basis.
Flight of the Earls - Medieval Window Dressing Competition
As part of the hugely successful Flight of the Earls Festival, DRP teamed up with DungannonLife and Tyrone Courier to run a window dressing competition in order to help decorate the town and contribute to the festival atmosphere and buzz. The windows were assessed by two external judges last weekend who commented on the quality of the colourful and eye catching shop window displays that decorated the town centre.
Halloween Spooktacular
The 6th annual Spooktacular event was held on Friday 26th October and attracted attracted its largest ever attendance with crowds packing Market Square in eagerness to watch the fireworks display. It is very encouraging that 54 local retailers joined together to offer Halloween discounts and promotions over the weekend period Friday 26th to Wednesday 31st October, and many of them reported an increase in sales.
Halloween Haunted Heritage Tours
This year's tours were once again extremely successful and the demand from the public has been so strong that a number of people had to be turned down.
A total of eight tours were conducted over four nights. 350 people done the tours and feedback from evaluation forms was very positive. I believe there is a major opportunity for DRP, DungannonLife, and Council to develop and enhance the trails further at Christmas and Summer i.e. themed tours/trails.
In total the Spooktacular events raised £1195 for Marie Curie Cancer
Dungannon Christmas Promotional Campaign
Last year's campaign to promote Dungannon as a shopping destination included TV, Radio, Press and Outdoor advertising. Also, as a pilot scheme late night opening was co-ordinated and promoted in the town centre on Friday 14th, Thursday and Friday 20th, 21st December.
Business Sponsorship
Last year's Christmas Promotional Campaign was very much supported by the local business community - with 80 traders and business organisations in the town coming together to sponsor the events to the tune of £5,860. Also, in October we secured sponsorship from the Oaks Centre towards the cost of the fireworks display and Jermon Developments supported the Christmas Late Night Opening Campaign.
CHALLENGES AHEAD / THE FUTURE
Whilst progress has been more than satisfactory across this year it is important as a Board that we establish challenges and targets which will ensure Dungannon is an 'altogether better' place to live, work, visit and do business in.
I see the challenges across the next year as follows:-
Recruiting new members to strengthen the range of skills, knowledge and experience across the DRP board;
Finalising a coherent Action Plan and completing and submitting a strong case to DSD for a Town Centre Masterplan;
Working with Council under the next round of Economic Development funding to ensure that programmes and projects are adequately resourced as part of a wider Economic Development Strategy for the area.
Working with Council and central government agencies to progress the Public Realm Scheme for the town centre;
Planned and sustained promotion of the LOTS Scheme to property owners in the town centre via the LOTS Steering Committee;
Working in partnership with the various stakeholders to enable and facilitate development of Perry Street and Anne Street sites;
Continuing to lobby for a modern and robust Wastewater Treatment Works at Moygashel, which as it stands is stifling commercial development in the town centre.
Working with the various stakeholders including the private sector to encourage more retail investment into the town;
Supporting the DungannonLIFE group in terms of marketing and promoting the town as an 'altogether better' place to live, work, shop and invest in.
Continued management and implementation of the DSD Marketing and Promotion Programme through to March 2008.
Continued participation in the Interreg IIIA Cross Border Retail Development Programme and local Neighbourhood Renewal Programme".
If anyone would like further information on the Dungannon Regeneration Partnership (DRP) please contact Paul McCreedy, Town Development Manager on 8772 8615 or email paul.mccreedy@dungannon.gov.uk. Alternatively, click on www.DungannonLife.com.
ENDS.....
