Is Antrim town centre finally set for rebirth?

THE long-awaited regeneration of Antrim’s ailing town centre may finally be on the horizon with a proposal from a number of councillors to open up access to High Street from the Dublin Road.

For decades, motorists on their way to Belfast International Airport could be forgiven for thinking that there was no historic town centre, obscured as it is by the back of a shopping centre and with the ‘entrance’ restricted to all traffic except buses.

Market Square is pedestrianised, but with just a weekly market and sporadic public events in the days before the coronavirus taking place, many feel that one of the vital thoroughfares between the Castle Gardens and the town centre - severed by a dual carriageway - is being wasted.

However at Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council this week, Mayor Jim Montgomery, seconded by Alderman John Smyth of the DUP, Councillors Paul Dunlop, Neil Kelly, Roisin Lynch and Leah Smyth of the DUP, Alliance, SDLP and UUP respectively, are pressing for change.

A Notice of Motion before members on Monday proposed that: “This Council recognises the importance of the regeneration of Antrim town centre and requests a meeting with the Minister for Infrastructure to discuss access to High Street and Castle Street from the Dublin Road”

Speaking as a UUP councillor, Jim Montgomery said that the time has come to open the town back up to through traffic, visitors and tourists, by all means of transport

He is also pressing for action on the Ulster Bar corner site on High Street, which has been sitting as a vacant lot for decades.

And he says he doesn’t want to end there - pressing for improvements for all the borough’s town centres.

“Throughout my time as a councillor I have been committed to regenerate Antrim town.” he said.

“When I took over as Mayor one of the main areas I have been pushing forward is regeneration.

“We know that for years our town centres, in fact thousands of town centres throughout the UK, have faced challenging times.

“The COVID pandemic have added to the troubles facing our town centres.

“I don’t believe we should sit and wait until we see what town centres are like post pandemic.

“I am pushing the actions now to deal with the issues and progress regeneration.

“New methods need to be looked at and fresh innovative approaches considered and not just spoken about but actioned.

“I have spoken with the other councillors in Antrim and we are united in taking things forward.

“I have already written to the Minister to find out what is happening with Ulster Bar corner. This prime location in Antrim has sat empty for far too long.

“We have heard of many plans over the years but none have happened. In relation to the entrance at the bottom of the town leading from Dublin Road it is only currently open to buses

“Tens of thousands of people attend our Castle Gardens and pass by the town.

“We need to have a proper discussion about access to our town. Perhaps this entrance is an answer to that or perhaps there is a better alternative.

“That needs to be looked at and that is what my motion to council is creating by going to the Stormont minister with responsibility and looking at the issue.”

Councillor Montgomery added: “These are two of several matters I am bringing forward to push on with regeneration with the aim of improving the town and the borough as a whole.

“All our town centres in the borough need intense focus on regeneration. Antrim is the start.

“We need to think of new methods of regeneration, we can’t keep looking back at previous times and out of date methods of developing our towns.

“I feel council should lead the agenda on this regeneration and will continue to push on decisive action to get these improvements made.”

**For more stories on calls for infrastructure improvements in the borough, see pages 2 and 6**