By 
ONE of Omagh’s longest-serving retailers has called for a sliding scale of rates charges to be introduced in a bid to encourage younger people to start up businesses in the town centre.
Tony Laird runs Laird’s Jewellers on Bridge Street. He has been a businessman in the town for more than 40 years and was among those who attended this week’s meeting aimed at highlighting the opportunities and challenges ahead.
He said there was a real need for new businesses to come into the town and the best way to achieve this was through a sliding scales of rates.
However, the chief executive of the Council, Alison McCullagh, said an initiative such as that was out of the council’s hands and down to Stormont’s Department of Finance.
Mr Laird went on to say that more effort is needed to increase the number of tourist buses coming to the town. He added that they had fallen away since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are forgotten about in terms of tourism and I find that despicable,” he said.
“There were buses coming in before the pandemic and if we could get them to return, come here and venture around the town then I think that we would really benefit.”
On a similar point, Una Darcy, who is involved in active and sustainable transport, called for lay-bys and loading bays within the town centre to be used by buses such as those operated by community transport. She criticised what she described as the ‘high dependency’ on cars in the Omagh area.
“The design of our town centre should recognise that we have an ageing community.
“It is always worth considering active travel measures,” she added.
“The car dependency in this area is really awful and it is not safe. I believe children are suffering with mental health because of this dependency and I really think we need more walkways and active travel locally.”
Alana Mullan, of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, said a greater level of communication with businesses in the town would have a beneficial impact.
She said that recent work on the installation of gas pipelines in many parts of the town centre had caused a lot of issues for bars and other businesses in James Street, John Street and Georges Street. She added that much of the ‘angst and frustration’ caused as a result of this could have been avoided.
Another local man, Kevin Taylor, said that the increased use of renewable energy had the potential to transform the town centre. He called on the Housing Executive to build more modular homes at a cost far less than conventional properties.
The long-time campaigner also said that car parks also powered by solar and based on the Gortin and Derry Roads could be used to ease traffic congestion in the town centre.
He also said that the algae which is causing so many problems on Lough Neagh and other bodies of water across the North could be used to generate energy.
Oisin Donnelly, of Omagh Pride, was keen that his organisation could avail of a site close to the town centre as a base for their annual parade, while other speakers called for the introduction of community and craft initiatives in buildings within the town.
