Final call for public to have say on Masterplan

Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council issued the call as the public consultation exercise closes on Thursday 18 February 2016.

The proposals for the Masterplan have been on display in the Old Town Hall, Banbridge and Banbridge Leisure Centre since Thursday 26 November 2015 with local people and town centre stakeholders being given the opportunity to view and provide input into the plan.

Two public events were also well attended by local people who took the opportunity to meet with leading consultancy firm Aecom and discuss the proposals and plans for the town in greater depth.

Once the public consultation ends the next stage will be to collate comments gathered as part of the exercise and incorporate them into the document which will then be used to develop an action plan for the delivery of future projects which can be taken forward by the council, other agencies and the private sector.

Commenting local Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson said: “As important as it is to plan for that future, it is equally important to ensure that local voices are not only heard but are listened to.

“It’s vital when it comes to the future of our town that we get it right and I encourage people who have not already done so to let their views be known through the consultation before it closes!

“Despite the fact that many of the aspirations in this plan may be many years from becoming a reality, if ever, a regeneration plan is vital to ensure Banbridge is not left behind and is ready to meet the economic opportunities and challenges of the future.

“I commend the important work which the Banbridge Regeneration Committee has already undertaken in the town alongside Council and that work will be crucial to this plan as it is improved by taking into account the views of local people.

“Any Master Plan for Banbridge must be Banbridge-based.

“It is critical that we maintain and increase employment opportunities in the town while building on the foundations laid by those who have gone before us.”

The Banbridge Masterplan, which is being delivered by the council with funding from the Department for Social Development, is the latest in a series of Masterplans for towns in the Borough which set out a framework for future development and identify key projects for town centre improvement over the next 15 years.

For further information on the Banbridge Masterplan please contact Mechelle Brown, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council by calling 028 4062 0250 or Una Somerville from Aecom by calling 028 9070 5111.