Omagh district being ‘left behind’ in council funding divide

A GROWING funding disparity between Omagh and Fermanagh has sparked renewed calls for investment in the Omagh area – a decade on from the formation of the merged Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

The issue has resurfaced following the council’s recent decision to approve a £70 million redevelopment of Enniskillen’s Lakeland Forum, a figure which has raised eyebrows among political representatives and business leaders in the Omagh district.

According to the council’s current five-year capital plan (to 2028), approximately £25 million has been earmarked for Fermanagh-based projects, compared with just £5 million for projects specifically in Omagh.

These figures exclude the £70m Lakeland Forum project and the long-delayed £6m crematorium planned for Omagh’s Greenhill Cemetery, which has been in the pipeline for 13 years.

John Edgar, president of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, said the imbalance is ‘blatantly obvious’ and reflects a wider public sentiment that Omagh has been neglected.

“In my view, and the view of many people locally, the vast majority of funding is going to Fermanagh,” he said. “We can’t even get the rusty Omagh town signs replaced. There’s money being wasted on trivial things and no big ideas for investment in Omagh.”

He credited the drive of Fermanagh representatives for securing funding for the Forum project – but questioned the ‘push’ from local politicians on the council.

“Where is the ambition from our own councillors to bring forward capital schemes for this town?” he asked. “We’re receiving a fifth of what Fermanagh is getting, and a chunk of that is on a crematorium, which many don’t even see as a worthwhile investment.”

Mr Edgar said the perception among locals is that, since the 2015 amalgamation of the two council areas, the flow of capital has largely gone one way – towards Fermanagh.

“It’s time Council looked at a flagship project for the Omagh area. We need meaningful investment in the town centre and surrounding area. That’s long overdue.”

A spokesperson for the council said that its Capital Plan forecast for 2025 to 2030 included projects across the district which are funded through both external funding sources and the council itself.

The spokesperson said these included £5.9 million for town centre public realm and regeneration in Omagh, £5.2 million for community strategic capital grants, £3 million for play area refurbishment and £5.9 million for future waste management developments.

“Projects within the five-year capital plan are subject to full business case appraisal which considers if the proposed expenditure and investment is prudent, sustainable and affordable.”

The council approved its more recent medium-term financial plan for 2025 to 2030 at its meeting on February 6 this year.

“The capital strategy sets out the long-term context in which council capital investment decisions are made with recognition that capital projects must align with Community and Corporate Plan objectives and address a range of infrastructure and facilities needs considered essential for the development of the district,” they added.