TIME TO REBUILD
TIME TO REBUILD
Omagh begins mammoth task
By HELEN McGURK
AFTER a week of devastation, mourning and remembrance Omagh yesterday embarked on the painful process of trying to get back into business.
Traders and shoppers started to make their way back into the town's centre, torn apart 10 days ago by a bomb which killed 28 people and injured 220 others.
Taking stock of their damaged premises, traders said they owed it to their customers to restore some semblance of normality - although they admit it is hard to think of commerce at such an awful time.
Meetings were held yesterday with Omagh traders, the council and civic leaders from other bomb-damaged communities to discuss how to begin that process of rebuilding.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce from Banbridge and Portadown were at the meeting to offer help and advice.
The chief executive of Manchester City Council, Arthur Sandford, led a delegation of business people and officials to the town yesterday to share their experiences of restoring Manchester following an IRA bomb explosion' two years ago.
A total of 53 shops in Omagh have been destroyed or damaged by the bomb - some may be able to reopen after extensive renovations, others will have to be totally rebuilt.
Chief executive of Omagh council John McKinney said the purpose of yesterday's meeting was to offer practical advice and to ensure all the traders knew they could claim compensation.
"All the agencies were also at the meeting; compensation, planning, road service, building control, environmental health, land evaluation service and rating division."
Mr McKinney said yesterday's meeting would be the first of many as the town tried to rebuild commercial life.
"It is a very emotional time for the traders and we want to offer on-going support to them. Some of them have lost valuable members of their staff, so although we are trying to rebuild the town - those people who have been killed or injured are uppermost in our minds."
Omagh begins mammoth task
By HELEN McGURK
AFTER a week of devastation, mourning and remembrance Omagh yesterday embarked on the painful process of trying to get back into business.
Traders and shoppers started to make their way back into the town's centre, torn apart 10 days ago by a bomb which killed 28 people and injured 220 others.
Taking stock of their damaged premises, traders said they owed it to their customers to restore some semblance of normality - although they admit it is hard to think of commerce at such an awful time.
Meetings were held yesterday with Omagh traders, the council and civic leaders from other bomb-damaged communities to discuss how to begin that process of rebuilding.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce from Banbridge and Portadown were at the meeting to offer help and advice.
The chief executive of Manchester City Council, Arthur Sandford, led a delegation of business people and officials to the town yesterday to share their experiences of restoring Manchester following an IRA bomb explosion' two years ago.
A total of 53 shops in Omagh have been destroyed or damaged by the bomb - some may be able to reopen after extensive renovations, others will have to be totally rebuilt.
Chief executive of Omagh council John McKinney said the purpose of yesterday's meeting was to offer practical advice and to ensure all the traders knew they could claim compensation.
"All the agencies were also at the meeting; compensation, planning, road service, building control, environmental health, land evaluation service and rating division."
Mr McKinney said yesterday's meeting would be the first of many as the town tried to rebuild commercial life.
"It is a very emotional time for the traders and we want to offer on-going support to them. Some of them have lost valuable members of their staff, so although we are trying to rebuild the town - those people who have been killed or injured are uppermost in our minds."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/109
Published Date: 25-Aug-98
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