New life for the chamber?

MOVES are afoot to 'rejuvenate the flagging fortunes of Lurgan's Chamber of Commerce'.

A meeting is to be held in Lurgan Library on Wednesday evening with a view to giving traders back their voice.

The chamber had been highly active in 2005-06 but in more recent years had fallen into what one source described as 'suspended animation'.

Chamber President Charles Gardiner had stood down after playing an active role in driving the chamber and regular meetings had been held.

A spokesman for the organisers of Wednesday's meeting said: "In light of the public realm works in the town and other ongoing issues it is important local traders have a lobbying organisation to act on their behalf to safeguard the future of the town for the entire community."

The meeting is open to all traders, stakeholders and those with a commercial interest in the town.

The move comes in the wake of a council organised meeting in north Lurgan which was said to have been attended 'by more officials than traders'.

According to council officials 400 town businesses were invited - although the Lurgan Mail wasn't among them and several other traders we spoke to had no knowledge of the meeting.

A second council organised meeting is taking place in the Jethro Centre on Monday, January 18.

Some have accused the council of splitting the town's traders by having two meetings held on each side of the so-called sectarian divide.

This upcoming meeting will, no doubt, be discussed at the library gathering on Wednesday.

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