'Downpatrick must get back on track'

Downpatrick must better use its historical and cultural assets if it is to revive its fortunes, according to the head of the town's Regeneration Working Group.

Malachy McGrady is aiming to transform the town in the wake of devastating floods last year.

As well as delivering a £1.2m public realm scheme on Church Street later this year, Mr McGrady said the redevelopment of the huge ornate former police station on Irish Street is key to stimulating the local economy.

A Department for Communities led initiative to find a developer for the listed building failed last year to find market interest – but Mr McGrady is more confident this time around.

“The only way we are going to get footfall in this town is to maximise our historic heritage and cultural aspects and to give people a product that they want to come to Downpatrick for,” he said.

He said the Department for Communities had appointed consultants to develop a strategic masterplan for Irish Street which will be rolled out to stakeholders over the next couple of weeks.

“It is a very exciting project having seen an initial brief," he told BBC News NI.

"It includes not only the Irish Street site but goes right through the Market Street car park and potentially impacts on Market Street and St Patrick’s Avenue as well.

"One of the potential aspects is a boutique hotel,” he added.

At present the main accommodation provider in the town is Denvir’s – which has rooms at their main pub and restaurant.

It also operates what is known as a cluster hotel with rooms in other nearby buildings.

According to the owner Stephen McGorrian there is room for growth in the local sector.

“We are trying to grow tourism here and we are looking at ways to create additional accommodation," he said.

"There is planning permission for a hotel on the edge of the town but we are looking at ways of creating more accommodation in the centre of the town.

"We’ve looked at buildings close to us here that we can convert into hotel rooms so that we would end up with a 50 bedroom hotel – just not under one roof."

He said the number one attraction was the location.

"We are close to Belfast, to the Mournes, to Strangford and to all the attractions here in the town and that’s what we need to sell.”

In the town itself there is a horse racing stadium, St Patrick’s Grave and visitor centre, the prison museum, Inch Abbey and a working steam train line and museum.

But the railway museum, run by volunteers, remains closed following last year’s floods.

The testing of damaged trains, carriages and tracks is ongoing whilst the museum still needs to be decontaminated.

It is hoped that it will finally be able to reopen in the Autumn.

It is also thought that this summer’s DownTime Festival will adapt to focus more heavily on the town’s historical and cultural assets.

Mr McGorrian believes that if the floods offered anything positive it was a change in mindset.

“There was a cloud over the town,” he said.

“People didn’t want to be seen out socialising when our friends and neighbours were suffering the way they did," he said.

He said there were some positives.

"Everybody supported everyone else," he said.

"We know we need investment for the future and it’s given us a bit of strength.

"We’ve had the disaster but now we have a plan,” he added.

Karen Knox runs a boutique on Market Street.

Her previous store on St Patrick’s Avenue remains severely flood damaged.

She is still waiting to hear how much she will receive as part of the £15m support scheme which is currently being rolled out. She also believes this town must now start looking forward.

“What’s happened has happened,” she said.

“We can’t go back but we do need to get the town up and running and we need to get that money out to allow people to do that.”

The gradual release of flood support funding will not solve all of Downpatrick’s problems.

Doing so will take years of public and private investment and hard work.

But it’s hoped that, like the railway which is due to reopen in September, things are starting to move on to a better track.