Debate contribution: High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on 4 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Colm Gildernew

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

4 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

High Street and Town Centre Rejuvenation

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4625934

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I start by thanking Members for tabling the motion and, indeed, the amendments, which deal with specific elements of town centres. The important role that our high streets play in our society cannot be overstated. They are the very heart and soul of our communities, and they act as a focal point for much of the activity that occurs in our everyday lives. For hundreds of years, high streets have been a crucial driver of economic activity in our towns and villages, and they have also shaped the very culture and identity of the regions in which they are situated. It is, however, fair and accurate to say that our high streets are no longer the hive of activity that they once were. Changing consumer patterns and prolonged periods of economic downturn have, in some cases, left them a shadow of their former glory. In my town of Dungannon, the decrease in footfall is noticeable and has been mentioned often. In fact, even today, a business in the town contacted me about decreasing footfall, and local businesses often tell me that they are struggling to deal with the new realities. In towns such as Dungannon, we have vibrant business communities that are seeking to do their best all the time. They are investing their time, money and future in making the town work, and that places an onus on us, as an Assembly, to play our part by protecting retail space in towns and by providing clean, welcoming, attractive and accessible spaces for people to come to, stay in and do their business in. That will involve things such as looking at parking issues to ensure that towns are being dealt with fairly when it comes to parking restrictions and ensuring that the space is clean and attractive and that we are doing all that we can in that respect. The decline of the high street is not unique to here. It is happening all across the world, and we need to give some thought to that. Our Executive have previously stated that the rejuvenation of our high streets is a key priority going forward, and, in the previous mandate, the high street task force, as has been mentioned, was formed to look at the issue. It is also the case that local government has a very important role to play in the rejuvenation of our town centres. Councils have a lot of local knowledge and local contacts, and it is important that we work in partnership with them, with businesses and with communities to ensure that that rejuvenation happens. It is also important to recognise the work that has been done, such as the public realm schemes that have been rolled out. Through those schemes, millions of pounds have been invested in some of our towns. In addition, Conor Murphy reduced the non-domestic regional rate by 18% and provided rates holidays to many businesses during COVID, which allowed them to survive that period. That places an onus on us to ensure that they continue to survive and thrive. More recently, Caoimhe Archibald reinstated the Back in Business scheme, which supports new businesses and tackles dereliction on our high streets. The high street task force report, 'Delivering a 21st Century High Street', provides a blueprint for how to revitalise our high streets, and we must ensure that it is implemented in full. In the report, there is a recommendation that calls for the establishment of a living high streets fund to support projects that would transform underutilised assets into vibrant community spaces. I commend some of the work that has been happening in some spaces in Dungannon. Local entrepreneurs have worked to create that welcoming environment, and they have done so at much cost to themselves, I have to say. The report also recommends the development of a high street investment programme and the transfer of regeneration powers to local councils, which, I think, can play a significant role. The final point that I want to make is this: while it is OK to have strategies — we absolutely should have strategies — a bit of this is about our own behaviours. We need to consider how best we can support our local businesses, how we can ensure that the decline does not continue and how we can make our towns places in which we feel that we can do business, relax, socialise or whatever. Each of us has a responsibility in that respect to promote and support our high streets in whatever way we can, particularly in the period coming up to Christmas.

764 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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