EVAN Maxwell's criticism of Department of the Environment minister Mark h Durkan's 'Town Centre First' policy (March 10) ignores the plight of the traditional small Irish town/village. Towns like my own - Ballycastle - are enlivened by a sense of community pride and enterprise and take great pride in the appearance of our historic streetscape.
Progressive policies like 'Town Centre First' are needed to achieve a social, bustling and sustainable local economy and are not as Mr Maxwell suggests 'an indulgence in nostalgia'.
If we are to revitalise our struggling local economy we need to put the health of our town centres at the heart of our decisionmaking processes. The devolution of community planning powers to the new councils, will allow local government the opportunity to improve outcomes for the local people in a way that reflects local circumstances and needs. Small independent traders are buckling under the weight and pressures of soaring costs and ever increasing regulation and bureaucracy.
If we are to prevent our town centres becoming ghost towns, we all need to work together to provide support. To date central government and the executive have fallen way short of the mark.
The assembly and all public sector bodies need to ensure that funding and investment programmes are aligned to achieve the maximum effect in supporting diversity, enterprise and creativity in our town centres.
CLLR DONAL CUNNINGHAM
Ballycastle, Co Antrim
