by NEIL GREENLEES

The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum in Market Square.

PLANS are being drawn up for a major facelift which it is hoped will give Market Square a new lease of economic life.

Measures on the cards include pedestrianisation of the area; improvements to building facades and building redevelopment.

The use of the building which houses Lisburn Museum and Irish Linen Centre is also to be reviewed.

The measures were recommended in a presentation to the Council's Economic Development Committee by BDP Planning Consultants employed to review the physical and economic conditions within the Square and propose ways of increasing its economic activity.

A number of councillors felt pedestrianisation was essential to ensure the success of the overall scheme. They said they believed a city centre traffic study, which must be carried out before pedestrianisation can begin, should start as a matter of urgency'.

The councillors were told improvement to building facades will involve investigation of potential funding incentives to assist owners of private properties.

Building redevelopment, it was added, will involve landowner and statutory consultations as well as assistance with design of development briefs.

Detailed feasibility studies and development of a preferred option are to be carried out in relation to the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum.

As revealed in the Star last week members of the City Council's Leisure Services Committee recently visited Castle House to consider its suitability as an alternative site for Lisburn's leading tourist attraction.

A note of caution was sounded by Alderman Ivan Davis during discussion of the matter at the recent monthly meeting of the council.

He expressed reservations about a planning application involving properties running from Market Square along both Railway Street and Castle Street.

Mr. Davis told the meeting he had been told of concerns about the plan and added he hoped the council would take an interest in it.

Sunken garden to be completely refurbished

Damaged seats in the sunken garden	The disrepair in the sunken garden	The area will be refurbished.

THE sunken garden in the middle of Market Square looks set to be the first part of the area to be completely refurbished.

This was revealed by Deputy Mayor Ronnie Crawford and Alderman Ivan Davis who said the council's Environmental Services Committee had agreed to the provision of new seats and fresh planting.

They also said a programme of regular maintenance is to be carried out at the garden. The councillors recently met with Council Chief Executive Norman Davidson and Director of Environmental Services Colin McClintock at the garden to discuss what they described as its 'appalling and unacceptable state'.

They continued: "Timbers are missing from seats, some of which are overgrown with moss, and the landscaping is filled with uncollected rubbish. Despite requests several months ago, missing slabs have not been replaced on the raised area.

"Nothing can excuse the run down state of the centre of Market Square and the Council has signally failed to maintain the area in keeping with its status as the second largest city in Northern Ireland."

Ulster Star
16/05/2008