Carrickfergus Town Centre Set For £698,000 Makeover

A major programme of work to improve Antrim Street and Lancasterian Street in Carrickfergus town centre is set to begin this week.

The Department for Communities is providing £638,000 of the funding, while Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will contribute the further £60,000.

The front of the Civic Centre on Lancasterian Street will be given a makeover, while new footways, lighting and street furniture will be installed along Antrim Street.

Damian Mulholland, Acting Director of Regional Development at the Department said the work is the latest in a series of regeneration schemes in collaboration with the council.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr Lindsay Millar, welcomed the news: "We're delighted to have secured this funding which will enhance the town centre and increase footfall for local businesses. This boost is yet another example of our commitment to developing the town's reputation as a world-class heritage site and a must-visit destination for tourists from around the world.

"The works will give Carrickfergus a well-deserved facelift and I'm excited and proud to be a part of this urban regeneration project which will benefit everyone, especially in my hometown."

The works are scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer.

SDLP: Growing Economic Inactivity Rate Is Concerning

Whilst recent statistics from the Northern Ireland Research and Statistics Agency have demonstrated that unemployment in the regions is decreasing, the SDLP has expressed concern over the increasing economic activity rate.

The party's Economy Spokesperson, Daniel McCrossan, said areas like Strabane continue to have the highest rate of inactivity, which has been the case for years and highlights the need for action.

"We need a robust and realistic plan to tackle the systemic issues and barriers preventing people from entering the workforce, as well as trying to attract more business to the North West to provide well paid jobs," the west Tyrone MLA added.

"Frustratingly, this is another policy area that is neglected in the absence of a functioning Assembly and a sitting Executive. As long as inactivity rates continue to rise, our economy will at best stay stagnant and at worse start to drop, and with a no-deal Brexit looming over us, that is becoming increasingly likely."

The SDLP MLA called on Secretary of State Karen Bradley to reconvene the Stormont talks process "as a matter of urgency".

UUP Welcome £40m Refurbishment Of 16 Schools

The Ulster Unionist Party has welcomed the announcement of a £40 million funding package to refurbish 16 schools across the region.

Educations officials said the funding is part of the School Enhancement Programme and will be used to make vital improvements and extensions for a mixture of primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland.

Praising the development, Rosemary Barton MLA said the news was a "major relief" to all of the successful applicants, but leaves many others in urgent need of investment.

"The state of many of the buildings our young people across Northern Ireland are being educated in is frankly outrageous at present," the party's Education Spokesperson explained.

"Some schools that have closed or merged in the last two decades on the basis of promised new-builds are still waiting and as a result young people are being taught in premises that are far too small and simply not fit for purpose. Urgent attention must now be given to those schools."



(JG/CM)