Landmark bar could be demolished to make way for shops and flats

A VACANT bar and nightclub in Dungannon may soon be knocked down to make way for two new retail units and apartments.

The former Fort Bar and Salt nightclub, along with adjacent buildings in Scotch Street, Dungannon, are being proposed for demolition as part of a major revamp.

The planning application for the proposed development has been lodged by McGirr Architects, Belfast, on behalf of Centrum NI, Toomebridge.

Making a strong case for the proposed development, McGirr Architects argue that the proposed design for the new development at 5 to 19 Scotch Street is actually a lot more in keeping with the historic character of the area.

The Fort Bar itself is being described in their documentation as being ‘wholly out of character for the street’ with its brick façade and highly decorated windows, while No 15 and 17 – a new building constructed in the early 1980s – is described as follows, “Its roof level is too high, breaking the pattern of the street where roofs step down with the slope.”

Meanwhile, the building at No 19 is described as being “structurally suspect”.

The full description of the envisaged development also stresses that Wilson’s Lane – an important historical feature – would be fully preserved and enhanced.

The planning documentation states, “Wilson’s Lane is an extremely long-standing feature of the street layout in Dungannon town centre. However, it is not a street, it has no frontages and runs through the rear spaces between the buildings.

“Nonetheless, it is an important element of area and is retained in the proposed development.

“This allows the proposal to further integrate into the fabric of the area and enhance the public realm.”