View of Town from Six Mile River In May 2005, the Council published a Masterplan for Antrim town centre offering a vision of what the town could look like if the right kind of new retail investment can be attracted and if streetscape improvements can be realised to change the image and look of the place.

A Steering Group, made up of a number of stakeholders including Councillors, Antrim Towns Development Company, the Department for Social Development, Planning Service, Roads Service, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Translink and of course the private sector is now overseeing the implementation of the Masterplan recommendations.

The Masterplan contains 31 clear actions including the reconfiguration of the Castle Mall, Court House, Ulster Bar Corner and other derelict or vacant sites throughout the town centre, as well as improvements to the quality and variety of shops, to traffic management and access.

WHAT IS THE ANTRIM TOWN MASTERPLAN?

The Antrim Town Masterplan is a document that gives:
- A view of Antrim town as it is now
- A vision for how we would like it to be
- A plan for how we go about making the changes that are needed

In other words, it looks at what is good about the town and what else it needs to make it a great town centre that residents will proud of and visitors want to visit.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

Council has been very keen to work with its local partners and with local people. As part of the consultation process a total of four workshops were held in the town centre which were designed to give local people a chance to have their say as well as the traders and government bodies who provide services in the town. Street surveys were also undertaken and a special workshop for young people was held to assess their priorities.

These activities have directly shaped the vision for Antrim town: the programmes and projects that have emerged will help us to achieve our common vision which is 'a strong, well-designed and safe town that can respond positively to new social, economic and market changes. The town centre will be the heart of the community containing a diverse mix of retail, business, residential, learning, culture and leisure uses. Together with Junction One, Antrim town will be able to develop and grow by providing a wide and enhanced retail offer made up of independents, multiples as well as international outlets. Key improvements in the streetscape such as landmark lighting and the landscape will include a refurbished Court House and restored Castle Gardens as distinctive cultural and heritage attractions for both residents and visitors. Antrim will become the natural gateway to Lough Neagh and the network of inland waterways.'

The outcome of all the consultation was general agreement on a total of eight key challenges facing the Steering Group:

To invest in retail and residential activity
To restructure and redevelop the town centre using clear urban design principles
To make the town more pedestrian friendly and improve traffic circulation and access
To invest in environmental improvements that will transform the appearance of the town
To deliver the Masterplan as part of a targeted and integrated regeneration strategy
To promote the town more effectively using the Antrim brand
To use the arts and the cultural heritage of Antrim to help drive regeneration
To use learning and enterprise to ensure that Antrim becomes a much more competitive place to live and work

HOW WILL WE DO IT?

The Masterplan sets out an exciting basis for the regeneration and future development of Antrim town. It contains thirty-one actions focusing on the reconfiguration of the Castle Mall, Market Square, Ulster Bar Corner and other derelict or vacant sites throughout the town centre, improvements to the quality and variety of the shops, improvements to the streets, open spaces, traffic management, transport and also suggestions for better parking and pedestrian access. A range of other projects include proposals to bring back an 'evening economy' to the town centre, ideas for using the river as a natural townscape feature and raising the profile of Antrim in ways not previously tried.

No one organisation can make all of this happen, nor can all the government agencies or Council working alone. The way forward is for Council, the private sector, local traders, local people and government agencies to join together to achieve the goal of a well-designed and safe town, a town centre that is at the heart of the community. Council and its local partners on the Masterplan Steering Group are firmly committed to finding the means to making the vision a reality.

For further information please contact: Karen Brown, Development Manager (Regeneration & Enterprise) on 9446 3113 Ext. 1344 or email karen.brown@antrim.gov.uk