Maghera town centre regeneration 'vital', says Sinn Féin councillor

Sinn Féin council election candidate for Carntogher DEA, Cllr. Brian McGuigan has said 'the regeneration of Maghera town centre is vital to the performance of our local economy'.

Speaking to the County Derry Post, Councillor McGuigan said: “High-streets across these regions have been struggling for some time due to the rise of internet shopping but efforts by Mid-Ulster Council over recent years have to some degree been successful in halting this decline at a local level. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought this resurgence to an end, with many retailers struggling to survive through the lockdowns and a much greater shift towards online shopping. While it is true that many of the pre-requisites necessary for ensuring the survival of high-street shopping can only be decided at central government level —such as through modernising business rates so businesses are no longer penalised for retaining a shop-based presence, we remain confident that Maghera town centre will remain the social heart of our local community by continuing to adapt and evolve. 

“Recent months have seen the welcome announcement of over £10million of investment to be rolled out over the next two and a half years in Maghera, with a new public realm scheme incorporating disability friendly footpaths, street furniture etc, in addition to a new business park ensuring local job creation and a wetlands park for much needed recreation and the promotion of health and well-being. These three projects combined will ensure that Maghera will become much more attractive to businesses. 

“The Sinn Féin team of council election candidates in Carntogher district electoral area have further investment plans envisaged, so that we can drive much needed social and economic transformation across our district including the town of  Maghera. Our Sinn Féin council team have driven the adoption of Community Wealth Building proposals which put a strong focus on maximising our community assets when promoting the many ‘green’ opportunities presented by the climate and energy emergencies we now face.

“We must ensure that council is giving businesses the ability to undertake improvements of their own with access to the wide range of grants programmes available. Mid-Ulster District Council needs to continue successfully working with town centre building owners to identify new businesses for their available properties.

“Sinn Féín across Mid-Ulster are committed to strongly supporting community events and activities which draw visitors into our town centres. We will support previously successful  events as those previously hosted in Maghera Walled Garden,  events which are always very popular with young families. We are committed to looking for new and innovative ways to attract footfall into Maghera. Our local cultural and heritage offering is one massive draw which is yet to be fully utilised.

“If re-elected, we will continue with these efforts to improve the infrastructure and attractiveness of our town centres for businesses, to marry up business owners with potential occupants, and to look beyond retail to bring more cultural and entertainment opportunities into our town centres, keeping them vibrant.

“We want to see the re-establishment of the traditional Maghera ‘Fair Day’ with a refreshed town centre market, and an increased offer fully utilising our soon to be regenerated Maghera town centre to its best effect.”