NIIRTA Welcomes Plans For Regeneration
9 February 2012 |
Posted by Anne O'Hare |
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association has given a warm welcome to Department for Social Development plans to regenerate local town centres in the wake of the publication of the Mary Portas report.
NIIRTA Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “These are welcome plans as NIIRTA has long been calling for the Executive to develop an agreed action plan to regenerate our town and city centres and we look forward to working with them.”
“The Mary Portas report provides 28 recommendations which could be of considerable help in charting a way forward for our town centres and it’s very positive that Minister McCausland is to invite Ms Portas to Northern Ireland”
“NIIRTA has always maintained vibrant town centres, supporting a diverse mix of independent and multiple retail, alongside a strong café culture and night time economy is vital to the future economic prospects of Northern Ireland.”
“However a central element to this is getting our Retail Planning Policy right to protect our town centres from unsustainable out of town superstore applications which pose a major threat to their vitality and future development.”
“NIIRTA can also announce it is working with the DSD to host a major Town Centre Regeneration Summit at Stormont to help chart the way forward in future policy.”
