Why Do We Need a Strategy?

1 Why Do We Need a Strategy?

Mid & East Antrim Borough Council (MEABC) through Amplify, the integrated Economic Strategy for the Borough, has committed to regenerating and developing the town centre offering across the Borough.

In January 2020, the Council commissioned Venture International Ltd (Venture) to develop a town centre strategy for Carrickfergus. The Town Centre Strategy (a non-statutory plan) sets out a clear direction for the town and provides a framework for the implementation and timing of physical, social, economic and community development initiatives within Carrickfergus Town over the next 10 years. It also sets out a pathway to recovery helping to lead Carrickfergus Town out of the challenges presented by Covid 19.

Mid & East Antrim Borough Council cannot deliver this strategy on its own or from within its own resources. To ensure that the strategy is led and resourced the Council will work with key partners, including Carrickfergus property owners, retailers and businesses to deliver a town centre that is fit for the future and evolves to meet the aspirations and expectations of its citizens and visitors to Carrickfergus. The Council and a range of statutory partners recognise the potential for Carrickfergus to develop as a quality living, retail and hospitality environment for its citizens and as a destination town for visitors. Collectively they have sought to develop a vision for Carrickfergus and have identified a range of capital projects to create the conditions to deliver on that vision; this is the draft Carrickfergus Regeneration Investment Programme (CRIP) – a capital investment programme which will focus on investing in the Town’s assets and infrastructure to develop the Carrickfergus Town centre offer for all.

Town centres and the retail businesses based in them have met and continue to meet challenges including the migration to online shopping, the recession of the late noughties, the increasing prevalence of out of town retail parks and the outworking of the Covid-19 pandemic. Equally, there are opportunities to develop as environments and places where people want to live and spend

their leisure time. Towns can provide a base for the creative industries and new ways of working such as hot-desking, co-working space, and studio space. Potential also exists for niche retailing and for our retailers to embrace the opportunities offered by e-commerce. Recognising the challenges faced by town centres such as Carrickfergus but also being aware of the emerging opportunities means that this is the ideal time to develop a Town Centre Strategy for Carrickfergus for the next 10 years.

Venture was commissioned by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council (the Council) to facilitate the development of a Ten Year Town Centre Strategy for the 2020-2030 time frame. Venture has significant experience (over 25 years) facilitating town centre strategies on behalf of local authorities. It was requested to facilitate the 20202030 Carrickfergus Town Centre Strategy through: • Reviewing the performance of the town up to 2020 through examining the available data relating to the town.

• Engaging the wider public through a series of consultation processes to ensure that their views and experiences inform the Town Centre

Strategy.

• Engaging traders and businesses based in the Town Centre to ensure that their views, experience and ideas are reflected in the

Strategy.

The following document represents the outworking of these activities and is the 20202030 Carrickfergus Town Centre Strategy.