A selection of ideas about what is needed in Downpatrick
I asked the people of Downpatrick how they thought they could improve their town. The replies on the Down News Facebook Page came in thick and fast and there were a wide variety of suggestions.
Therefore, I have broken then down into sub-sections so that you can all see the results which are very interesting. And I have anonimised the responses in this article so you may see your idea reflected here. Some ideas were shared by a number of people.
So, in no particular order, objectively, here the results are below.
Scratching the surface:
Quite a few people said that they did not want to see any more nail bars, barbers or kebab shops in the town.
The Infrastrtuctural Issues:
The empty shops and derelict buildings seem to be a constant anxiety for many local people, and one comment suggested a shopping mall such as the Banbridge Boulavard might be a good idea. But there was a feeling that those empty shops needs to be filled or tidied up to improve the look of the town.
Dereliction is a big problem and it seems to create a very negative impression for Downpatrick. And there are quite a few old building involved.
With an eye on some of these, issues the Downpatrick Regeneration Working Group is trying to achieve a number of projects that are expected to improve the quality of life in Downpatrick
One big issue was unhappiness with the traffic flow system and the state of the roads in and around Downpatrick. There are bottlenecks, potholes etc etc and ultimately it rests with the Department of Infrastructure to address this.
And comments also sugested free parking which appears to be a bone of contention in Downpatrick where other communities (and shops) seem to benefit from free parking or reduced parking fees while Downpatrick faces fees and traffic wardens hounding motorists.
And the issue of the closure of the Downe A+E was quite prominent in the comments, many people calling for its re-opening. When this closure is combined with other factors, it does lower the self-esteem and confidence of the community and there is a deep frustration still over this matter.
There seems to be a specific traffic issue at the light at the top of St Patrick’s Avenue where cars parking on double yellow lines are blocking the traffic flow sometimes.
A number of specific ideas came up such as creating a separate MX track to keep young bikers off the roads, a dog park and an intensified campaign to reduce the amount of dog poo on the streets. A few comments suggested going green with window boxes and hanging baskets to brighten up the town, a floral approach.
One suggestion even said a safari park would be a good idea. There are a couple alpaca centres in the area, open farms, and the Mount Panther centre already ongoing.
Generally, responses felt that the town should be ‘tidied up more’. One comment says Downpatrick needs a ‘lick of paint’ to freshen it up.
Night Time Economy
There were a few calls for more restaurants in Downpatrick that open in the evening to off-set the drop in in the night time economy. And even an outdoor area where people can sit on a summer evening and enjoy a coffee! The St Patrick Centre has a garden space upstairs beside the cafe which might tick this box.
A hotel also figured in the responses, saying it would be good for tourism and attracting tourists and visitors. Currently, Denvir’s Hotel provides 15 beds and runs a restaurant and bar. One suggestion said there could be more B&Bs too to attract people to the area.
There is a general feeling that Downpatrick dies off at 5pm.
There was also concern at the lack of facilities for teenagers and suggestions of a bowling alley were mentioned.
The closures of businesses around the Downpatrick cinema were also concerning and there were calls for a ‘Funkey Monkeys’ styled business to set up.
Businesses Struggling
High rents and rates seem to be a bone of contention and this would deter future business development.
Shop Local campaigns run by Newry Mourne and Down District Council have been ongoing, and the Council also supports regular Saturday markets in St Patrick’s Square run the Downpatrick Community Collective.
More needs to be done to promote the heritage of St Patrick which could be a bigger flagship for tourism on the global market. (One commentator said this could be a ‘goldmine’.)
A couple of focussed business people did say that a Downpatrick Chamber of Commerce would be a useful exercise as it could hold various agencies and bodies to account. And on the back of this, there were comments suggesting a dissatisfaction with politicians at different levels and local council in its regard to Downpatrick.
Also, for businesses and people who don’t do online banking, a banking hub was suggested as an option. This appears to be operating in Kilkeel when banks closed down. Downpatrick has seen 4 banks close in recent years.
Local Residents Call for More and Better Shops
By far the biggest category of responses was the call for improvements in local shops.
The list was quite extensive as to what they would like to see in Downpatrick:
dry cleaners, shoe repairers, kids shoe shop, clothes alterations. a health food shop, a pet shop, a big toy shop etc.
However, there were also significant demands for the big stores such as M&S (food hall), Tesco, Primark, Iceland, Peacockes, Harry Coprry, and Dunnes. There was a call for the Down Retail Park to accommodate some of the above to broaden the product range and variety in the shops available for local people who are faced with shopping in other towns.
Asda is currently rebuilding its new store after the 2023 flood which will be a bigger facility.
However, one commentator said that bringing in larger stores with have a downward effect on the small family-run shops, and the impacts of that need to be measured in the urban planning mix to prevent displacement.
Similar rural towns to Downpatrick such as Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Rathfriland, appear to have a balance of small shops and larger retail outlets but Downpatrick is more tenuous, but it lies equidistant from Belfast and Newry, and has a strong cultural and heritage dimension.
Miscellaneous Ideas
There were too some ideas that seem interesting and creative such as a recording studio which could be housing in the Down Arts Centre, and an airfield. Newtownards air field seems quite busy and it’s difficult to imagine how such an infrastructural project could benefit Downpatrick, possibly maybe as a destination for visiting St Patrick’s Country or the wider Mournes. Or maybe even a chartered flight to watch Liverpool or Man Utd on a Saturday afternoon. Could Bishopscourt Racing Circuit be re-purposed to accommodate? Just a thought!
But all ideas are good, but some are more useful than others.
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Therefore, these ideas were just a brainstorming effort on part of Down News Facebook fans. The list is by no means definitive. It is just the thoughts and ideas of Downpatrick people. But you get a sense of their long-standing frustration and the state of their home town. Confidence and self-esteem may be low reflected in the inability of the community to find cohesion.
If Downpatrick is to find a new niche for itself going forward, it will have to agree on a clear vision of what is needed.
That will have to be agreed at grassroots community and business level, and also top-down at government level (regional and council), and there will need to be cross-party commitment to the process of shaping Downpatrick for the 21st century ahead.
But there is one factor I feel under-emphasised in the mix of ideas generated above, and that is the dynamo that should be working for the regeneration of Downpatrick, a Chamber of Commerce.
Thank you everyone for your contributions!
Jim Masson ©
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RELATED POST: (2019).
