Traders in Newry had the opportunity to discuss their views on how to improve the performance of the high street during a meeting at the Town Hall last Thursday. The ‘High Street Meeting’ was organized by the Department of Social Development after Minister Nelson McCausland set up a task force to respond to difficult trading challenges facing high streets following a report by Mary Portas. The task force of senior DSD officials will visit 26 towns and cities across the north meeting with retailers after which views and recommendations will be reported directly to the Minister. During the meeting traders voiced concerns over a number of issues including parking, traffic wardens, rates and out of town shopping. Jack Murphy said out of town shopping will take shoppers away from the city centre: “Newry had the ideal model with two shopping centres very close to the town centre. The people of Newry have worked really hard to build the town up but are being let down by central government . It’s absolutely disgraceful. Tesco is coming to a residential area close to where a hotel was turned down for planning because they said the road could not cope with the traffic . This is going to suck more life out to the town centre we don’t want to be left with a town circle.”
Newry Democrat
5th June 2012
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