Let's get creative to make Banbridge better

That’s according to the spokesman of Banbridge Community Regeneration Ltd - a group of local businesspeople behind the town’s development proposals.

John Dobson spoke to the Leader after presenting the group’s ideas for improving Banbridge to an audience which included the Minister for Social Development Alex Attwood.

Among the proposals set out by the group in conjunction with Banbridge District Council, is for a major overhaul of Rathfriland Street, estimated to cost around half a million pounds.

As well as this the junction at Scarva Street-Downshire Place could become the town’s new civic quarter and include a road realignment if the Health and Social Services Centre moves, as is expected, to the Health Centre on the Ballygowan Road.

And Townsend Street, where the car park is situated at the back of Iceland, could be developed with the use of more buildings and maybe even the construction of the long-awaited bus station, according to proposals.

Plans to improve the “gateway sites” in the town were also presented, with ideas such as artwork on the Newry Road roundabout and making use of the derelict building opposite the Downshire hotel.

Mr Dobson said the finished presentation made him “proud” of Banbridge.

“This is more a blueprint than anything,” he said. “It’s a series of ideas to get people thinking and let people see that we can be better.

“There’s a danger people think, because of the geography of Banbridge, there’s no room for it to grow.”

The local man, who works as a solicitor in the town, said people need to be creative when it comes to a vision of what Banbridge could become in the future.

But, as always, funding is a key issue. “Ideally local people would be involved in local projects but there’s ample scope for investors to come in from outside the town,” said Mr Dobson.

If funding becomes available the plans could go ahead in the very near future, said the Regeneration group’s spokesman.

“I would be hopeful that the plans are well enough developed that they could be implemented relatively quickly,” he said.