THE scene of one of the north's worst terrorist atrocities and one of the longest and widest retail thoroughfares in Ireland are separately in the running for a UK-wide competition to be named best town centre high street.
Market Street in Omagh and Cookstown's main William Street/Oldtown Street, along with Portadown's main retail street, have been short-listed in the 2018 Great British High Street Awards sponsored by Visa, putting them in the running to win a £15,000 prize.
It follows bids submitted by Omagh Town Centre Forum, Armagh City Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Mid Ulster District Council which outlined details of a renewed confidence in their high streets despite the challenging retail environment.
Three other retail hubs - the main streets in Armagh, Lisburn and Larne - and also included on a ‘Rising Star’ list in the awards initiative following a rigorous selection process led by an independent judging panel.
The short-listed high streets will now battle it out in a public vote (www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk), which accounts for 30 per cent of the final scoring, and will then have the chance to impress an expert judging panel as they seek to be crowned best in the UK at a ceremony in London on November 15.
High Streets Minister Jake Berry said: “Congratulations to all these towns on being short-listed in awards which celebrate the great work that is being done to revive, adapt and diversify our high streets. The quality of entries this year has been outstanding.
“Over the next six weeks the high streets will have the chance to impress an expert judging panel as they also battle it out in a public vote.
“This is a great opportunity to show your support for the hard work going on in Northern Ireland, so get voting.”
Sundeep Kaur, head of UK & Ireland merchant services at Visa, added: “These local high streets are fantastic examples of areas that have made huge strides in transforming themselves to offer a range of different experiences for locals and visitors alike.
"In particular, the entries highlighted the busy programme of annual events that have driven footfall to the areas and raised the profile of the many wonderful independent businesses that operate there.
"Our research shows that consumers demand a lot from their high streets, so it is no surprise that places like Omagh and Cookstown and Portadown have been recognised for their adaptability, resilience and creativity in meeting these demands.”
