Planning Granted For Mixed Use Development In Strabane

Planning permission has been granted for a large, mixed-use development in Strabane, County Tyrone.

The development includes an employment park, a learning campus, a 90-bed hotel, a retail foodstore, a garden centre, petrol filling station, a children's play area, a sports and wellbeing centre, a river wildlife centre and environmental and access infrastructure.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: "I am aware that Strabane is one of the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland with 44% of the population of Strabane District Council area living in deprived areas.

"I have visited Strabane and listened to and considered the views of a broad spectrum of interested parties. I acknowledge that overall there is strong local support for the project and the need for new investment, job creation and the potential for this development to act as a catalyst for further inward investment. I am also aware of the concerns of some local town centre traders.

"However, I believe that any potential negative impact associated within this development will be offset in the long term by growth in the local economy, the creation of jobs and greater wealth, inward investment and visitor spend."

However, The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) described the decision as "disgraceful".

Strabane Town Centre retailer Declan Hughes said: "This decision is utterly disgraceful and shows yet again that this Minister is ignoring the policies of his own Department and his party which is 'Town Centre First' for these types of retail development.

"Local traders had pointed out that the vacant Smiths Mill site in Strabane Town Centre was a better option. Again this was ignored by the Minister.

"This decision will destroy and displace existing retail jobs from Strabane Town Centre, which has a vacancy rate of 30%. It will take £50 million out of the economy of Strabane town centre and seriously damage the town's footfall."

NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts added: "After the Minister's shameful decision in Newry and now Strabane, NIIRTA is fast losing confidence in Minister Durkan.

"His decisions in Newry and Strabane are both in complete contradiction to his own departmental draft Town Centre First policy. It is very clear that this document is not worth the paper it is written on.

"Northern Ireland has the highest shop vacancy rate in the UK and if he continues to grant permission to out of town retail hypermarkets this figure will continue to grow."

(IT/JP)