FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council has been accused of 'dragging its feet' over its delay in applying for money for a scheme that would transform Enniskillen town centre.

Traders want to see the reinvigoration of the street from one end of the town to the other, they want it redesigned, new surfaces for traffic flow and pedestrians and new kerb stones, light fittings and street furniture for Enniskillen, the only town in the west of Northern Ireland that has not been upgraded in this way.

Businessman Jonathan Styles has been one of the traders pressing for improvements to be made to Enniskillen.

“This is needed because what we have has declined. You can trace the decline of Enniskillen town centre over the last 15 or 20 years by looking at what is on the ground,” he told this newspaper.

It's understood that the Council and the Department of Social Development (DSD) have had a disagreement over the project much to the frustration of the Enniskillen Business Partnership. A meeting last week attended by Council Chief Executive Brendan Hegarty, Enniskillen Councillors and traders has been described as particularly tense by one source.

The Impartial Reporter understands that the Department has contacted the Council on at least six occasions this year to query why it has not applied for the funding that is apparently available to take the public realm scheme forward. Finance Minister Arlene Foster, who will meet with Mr. Hegarty to discuss the issue soon, has also waded in, telling this newspaper: “I want to see this scheme happening and urge the Council to move ahead with this.”

Enniskillen Business Partnership recently met with Minister Foster and Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey.

Mr. Styles explained: “We were buoyed by the fact Minister Storey said there was no problem from his point of view, there is money available. The problem seems to be the Council's inability to go through the procedure of applying for it.

“Minister Storey was able to tell us that on six occasions this year his office had contacted the office of the Townhall to ask why the progress for the public realm scheme was dragging its feet,” he said.

“We are in the middle here... the Council have to sort it out with DSD to get the job done,” added Mr. Styles.

In an e-mail sent to Enniskillen Business Partnership last month Mr. Hegarty asked Mr. Styles to provide “clarity” on “why your members feel that the Council is required to explain its position in relation to this project.”

A Council spokeswoman has told The Impartial Reporter that the Council would give its support for the proposed regeneration of Enniskillen town centre “subject to the availability of funding to progress it.”

The spokeswoman explained that if the responsibility of regeneration transfers from DSD to the Local Government next year, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will then be responsible for physical regeneration across the district with a budget of approximately £600,000.

“Aside from Enniskillen and Omagh, there are other towns and villages across the district in need of regeneration and a budget of £600,000 is not sufficient to meet all of the competing demands,” she said.

The Council spokeswoman said the Enniskillen regeneration scheme is estimated to cost in excess of £5 million and added: “There are affordability issues in taking the project forward. In spite of this and in order to progress the project, the Council is currently reviewing, at risk, the previous economic appraisal and is working with DSD officials to progress it. The Council will have an updated economic appraisal with DSD by the end of the month.”

The spokeswoman added that the Council is not required to apply for funding for the project.