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Article by local MP Jeffrey Donaldson
A new vision for Lisburn City
Over the past year I have had the pleasure writing a monthly feature about the going on's across our city.
I would very much like to get the imput of you the reader of Lisburn Life. Is there anything you would like me to answer?
Email jeffrey@lisburnlife.com
Our objective is surely to make Lisburn the best place in which to live and work in Northern Ireland. The recession has had its impact on Lisburn and although the Lagan Valley area continues to have the lowest unemployment in Northern Ireland, there has been a loss of some jobs recently and these will need to be replaced.
The announcement by Dobbies that they are establishing their first garden centre in Northern Ireland on a site at the Saintfield Road will bring over 100 new jobs to the area. In addition, the John Lewis development is due to be considered by a public inquiry in June and we remain hopeful that this will be approved, thus creating the prospect of over 1,000 new jobs at Sprucefield with the expansion of Northern Ireland’s only regional shopping centre.
This will be a major boost to the local economy as well as to the construction industry. Lisburn City Council is also working in partnership with other key stakeholders including city centre retailers to regenerate the centre of Lisburn and give it a major face-lift. This will involve an environmental improvement scheme centred on Market Square and will help make Lisburn’s retail space and public realm much more attractive to shoppers and visitors.
Just a short distance away at Maze, work is continuing to establish the Maze Development Corporation that will take forward the redevelopment of the largest regeneration site in Northern Ireland. The project currently comprises over 360 acres with the potential to link this to a nearby site at Blaris bringing the total development area to around 1,000 acres.
This will lead to a major investment in the local roads infrastructure with a new link road from Knockmore to the M1 motorway and A1 Dual Carriageway. The Maze/Blaris developments will result in a massive expansion to the city with commercial and residential development on an unparalleled scale as well as new leisure and recreational facilities. The employment potential for all sectors including construction is huge and will place Lisburn firmly on the map as being the major hub for investment over the next 10 years.
In tandem with these developments, there are also plans to enhance local public services, including a multi-million pound investment in improving facilities at the Lagan Valley Hospital. As well as providing for significant growth in the local population, we also need to attract more visitors and tourists to help the local economy. The Lagan Corridor project is at the heart of these plans and will see the reopening of the entire Lagan Canal system from Belfast right through Lisburn to Lough Neagh. This will bring much needed investment into both urban and rural areas within the city, including the regeneration of the Hilden Mill site and the development of Lough Neagh as a major recreational asset for the entire region.
It will not just be boat owners and tourists that will benefit from the reopening of the canal but it will also mean new facilities for walkers and cyclists and will offer recreational activities for all the family.
In summary, the next few years will see a major expansion in the population of Lisburn with opportunities for investment in our local infrastructure and improvements to public services.
There is also huge potential to create new jobs with the expansion of Sprucefield, the regeneration of the Maze site and the development of our local economy.
The past few years have been difficult for our fledgling city but I firmly believe that the best has yet to come.
Jeffrey Donaldson has been the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley since 1997.
Lisburn City Mayor's
Carnival Parade
Saturday 8th May
Watch the streets of Lisburn City Centre come alive at the Mayor’s Carnival Parade on
Parade Leaving ISLAND Arts Centre 1pm, Followed by Family Fun Day in Wallace Park
Lisburn Life Newspaper
16 Railway Street
Lisburn
Tel: 02892 667919
info@lisburnlife.com
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