New Building Projects For Lisburn City

Lisburn City Council has said restorative work on the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum has started.

Site works within the city centre for the Council's Public Realm Scheme is also underway.

The Chairman of the Council's Leisure Services Committee and Economic Development Committee, Alderman Paul Porter and Alderman Allan Ewart visited the city to see the work continuing.

Alderman Porter said: "The Irish Linen Centre is receiving essential maintenance work to its roof, windows and its walls to ensure this landmark facility continues to provide its historical services and receive a refreshed appearance. The building will also be fully repainted.

"The work at the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum is scheduled to finish in mid November which will leave it ready for Christmas. We have planned that all works going on in Lisburn will be done as far as possible in tandem. I expect to see the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum looking really good as it is a beautifully designed building and a landmark in the city centre which is very popular with our local schools and visitors to Lisburn. We have also received some financial assistance for this work from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency which we wish to acknowledge."

Alderman Allan Ewart has been monitoring progress on the public realm works, and the Council's schedule of upgrade works are due to commence within the next fortnight, now that all preparatory works by Northern Ireland Water are nearing completion.

He said: "The City Centre Masterplan for Lisburn is designed to breathe new life into its public areas and provide an enjoyable and ambient atmosphere for our residents, shoppers and visitors. With the choice of destinations open to people in Northern Ireland it is essential for cities and towns to evolve and improve so as to offer the best visitor experience possible and creating attractive surroundings and visitor facilities is a core part of that offer.

"Footpaths, street lighting and street furniture will be upgraded and there will be new signage, landscaping and public art in the city centre. It is our hope that private sector investment will grow over the medium to long term in Lisburn city centre, bringing with it employment opportunities and increased career prospects for our young people.

"While some disruption is inevitable in the short-term, in the long term the benefits will vastly outweigh those and a brighter, more attractive Lisburn city centre will attract shoppers and other visitors into the years ahead."

The Irish Linen Centre upgrade and facelift is being managed by the Council's Leisure Services Department and the City Centre Masterplan is being progressed by the Council's Environmental Services Department. The City Centre Masterplan is a multi-agency project led and funded by Lisburn City Council and the Department for Social Development and the Department for Regional Development.

(JP/CD)