BOMB SITE REBUILDING TO START ' IN FEW WEEKS'
Bomb site rebuilding to start 'in few weeks'
THE first workmen are due to move in to start rebuilding part of Market Street within the next few weeks, it has been revealed.
And it is hoped that more will be on site in about six weeks, Mr. Richard Collins, of Collins Design, said this week.
Mr. Collins is one of the consultants involved in the redevelopment of the bombed street, and he said the first premises on which rebuilding work would start was that of the former Curran's Optometrist.
Meanwhile, Omagh District Council yesterday (Wednesday) said property owners were giving the proposed new Community House scheme, which forms a large part of the redevelopment on the river side of the street, their final consideration.
On Monday, the Omagh District Partnership awarded a grant of �168,000 Peace and Reconciliation money to the project, which will be built in conjunction with commercial retail space.
The reconstruction of property on that side of the street involves six property owners, while the redevelopment on the southern side involves one property owner.
In all, 12 businesses are involved, with designs being drawn up by Mr. Collins, Mr. Peter Dolan, of Dolan and McBride, and Mr. Barry Gallagher, of ADP Design.
Mr. Collins explained that they had been working as hard as they could in "very difficult conditions" over the past 10 months to try and get the rebuilding work started as soon as possible.
Mr. Collins is in charge of the redevelopment of the Dublin Road corner beside McGinn's furniture store, and Curran's Optometrist on the other side of Market Street.
Full planning applications for his projects are currently with the planners, but approval has yet to be issued because of standard procedures, he said.
"The planning department is applying its standard procedures to the applications, as it is entitled to do. But we have been sitting in limbo as it were, waiting to be given the go-ahead to start work," he said.
"One would have hoped that more consideration would have been given to these projects, and that they would have been treated with a sense of urgency."
Imminent
However, he said approval was now imminent, and the workmen should be on site within the next few weeks.
Mr. Collins went on to say that he hoped the contractors would be on site by the beginning of August on the Dublin Road corner, which includes a number of businesses.
"That is a fairly complex project, and we have to wait until conservation policy is applied to it. Under new legislation, we also have to include things like disabled access, and we have been working closely with the local building control office and the Fire Service on the project," he said.
"They have both been fantastic and have bent over backwards to help us on design features to do with fire safety and facilities for the disabled."
Commenting on how the new premises would look, Mr. Collins said the buildings would mainly be three-storey, where previously they had mostly been two storey.
"We are trying to change the look and feel of the buildings to reflect a new image for the town," he said.
He went on: "For most towns that have suffered explosion damage, it normally takes about a year before rebuilding gets underway. I have done many of these over the years in different towns, but we have never had a situation before where there has been such a terrible loss of life.
"That is why one would have hoped for a little more expediency in dealing with this."
A spokesman for the district council said there was a "shared vision" regarding the creation of a new image for the main entrance to the town.
"The principle of the setback of properties has been agreed, and also the need for reconstruction to the highest architectural standards," he said.
Referring to the community house development, he said: "This partnership approach between the community sector, business sector and the council has been seen as an innovative project at the entrance to the town."
He explained that the project would incorporate a central building that would facilitate 10 local community groups, currently located at various areas around the town.
The innovative scheme involves commercial retail space on the ground and first floor, with the community house on the second floor. The house will then extend back towards the river in a three-storey building, and there will be frontages onto Market Street and Drumragh Avenue.
It will also incorporate the first phase of the council's riverside development scheme.
"This is seen as an important part of the long-term strategy for addressing the poor appearance of the properties backing onto the river," the spokesman said.
"The property owners are giving the scheme their final consideration, and have been supportive of the entire comprehensive development, from the earliest stages."
Along with the Peace and Reconciliation money, the development is being supported by the Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage Initiative, and further negotiations on funding for the community house is at an advanced stage.
THE first workmen are due to move in to start rebuilding part of Market Street within the next few weeks, it has been revealed.
And it is hoped that more will be on site in about six weeks, Mr. Richard Collins, of Collins Design, said this week.
Mr. Collins is one of the consultants involved in the redevelopment of the bombed street, and he said the first premises on which rebuilding work would start was that of the former Curran's Optometrist.
Meanwhile, Omagh District Council yesterday (Wednesday) said property owners were giving the proposed new Community House scheme, which forms a large part of the redevelopment on the river side of the street, their final consideration.
On Monday, the Omagh District Partnership awarded a grant of �168,000 Peace and Reconciliation money to the project, which will be built in conjunction with commercial retail space.
The reconstruction of property on that side of the street involves six property owners, while the redevelopment on the southern side involves one property owner.
In all, 12 businesses are involved, with designs being drawn up by Mr. Collins, Mr. Peter Dolan, of Dolan and McBride, and Mr. Barry Gallagher, of ADP Design.
Mr. Collins explained that they had been working as hard as they could in "very difficult conditions" over the past 10 months to try and get the rebuilding work started as soon as possible.
Mr. Collins is in charge of the redevelopment of the Dublin Road corner beside McGinn's furniture store, and Curran's Optometrist on the other side of Market Street.
Full planning applications for his projects are currently with the planners, but approval has yet to be issued because of standard procedures, he said.
"The planning department is applying its standard procedures to the applications, as it is entitled to do. But we have been sitting in limbo as it were, waiting to be given the go-ahead to start work," he said.
"One would have hoped that more consideration would have been given to these projects, and that they would have been treated with a sense of urgency."
Imminent
However, he said approval was now imminent, and the workmen should be on site within the next few weeks.
Mr. Collins went on to say that he hoped the contractors would be on site by the beginning of August on the Dublin Road corner, which includes a number of businesses.
"That is a fairly complex project, and we have to wait until conservation policy is applied to it. Under new legislation, we also have to include things like disabled access, and we have been working closely with the local building control office and the Fire Service on the project," he said.
"They have both been fantastic and have bent over backwards to help us on design features to do with fire safety and facilities for the disabled."
Commenting on how the new premises would look, Mr. Collins said the buildings would mainly be three-storey, where previously they had mostly been two storey.
"We are trying to change the look and feel of the buildings to reflect a new image for the town," he said.
He went on: "For most towns that have suffered explosion damage, it normally takes about a year before rebuilding gets underway. I have done many of these over the years in different towns, but we have never had a situation before where there has been such a terrible loss of life.
"That is why one would have hoped for a little more expediency in dealing with this."
A spokesman for the district council said there was a "shared vision" regarding the creation of a new image for the main entrance to the town.
"The principle of the setback of properties has been agreed, and also the need for reconstruction to the highest architectural standards," he said.
Referring to the community house development, he said: "This partnership approach between the community sector, business sector and the council has been seen as an innovative project at the entrance to the town."
He explained that the project would incorporate a central building that would facilitate 10 local community groups, currently located at various areas around the town.
The innovative scheme involves commercial retail space on the ground and first floor, with the community house on the second floor. The house will then extend back towards the river in a three-storey building, and there will be frontages onto Market Street and Drumragh Avenue.
It will also incorporate the first phase of the council's riverside development scheme.
"This is seen as an important part of the long-term strategy for addressing the poor appearance of the properties backing onto the river," the spokesman said.
"The property owners are giving the scheme their final consideration, and have been supportive of the entire comprehensive development, from the earliest stages."
Along with the Peace and Reconciliation money, the development is being supported by the Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage Initiative, and further negotiations on funding for the community house is at an advanced stage.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1362
Published Date: 17-Jun-99
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