7 wishes people would like to happen in Cookstown and Magherafelt in 2025

Residents will tell you that a few years ago the traffic congestion was bad at peak times of the day, now it is bad all times of the day.

If a few more hurdles can be overcome, there is speculation that the work on the bypass could start in the summer of 2025.

Fingers crossed it will happen!

As many of us try and "go green" and do our bit to help the environment by switching to an electric car, the problem in Cookstown and Magherafelt is locating a street charger because they are few and far between.

There are only about a dozen accessible chargers between the two towns and finding one can be very difficult - worrying in fact if your battery is very low and some other vehicle has been occupying a charger most of the day.

An increase in the number of electric vehicle chargers in both towns is something motorists would like to see happen this year.

Getting an ambulance in Cookstown can sometimes be tricky especially if the service is under severe pressure – particularly over the winter.

The ambulance station does a good job, but many feel that the number of ambulances based there could be increased and the building modernised to cope with a town which is growing in population and has a large hinterland.

While on the topic of health, the closure of Fairhill GP Surgery in Magherafelt caused a major upheaval for many people in the area.

I’m sure most hope things will settle down in the coming year and they will be able to look forward to a good GP service.

The public toilet was demolished in Magherafelt a few years ago by the local Council.

Let’s face it: it had become a become a bit of an eyesore.

It was located at the entrance to Rainey Street car park and was used by locals and especially visitors to the town.

A new purpose-built modern toilet block somewhere in the town centre area is essential and hopefully steps will be taken rectify this in 2025.

Four years ago Marks & Spencer were considering Magherafelt as one of seven towns in Northern Ireland they were targeting for a new foodstore.

Nothing has happened yet, but for local shoppers having a convenient M&S store would be on their list of things they would like to happen this year.

A store in the town would cut out having to travel to neighbouring towns.

More cycle lanes in Cookstown and Magherafelt would encourage greater numbers to get on their bikes and leave the car at home.

The number of lanes set aside for cyclists is a disgrace and priority should be given to increasing these in 2025.

The outbreak of Covid led to the closure of Magherafelt Courthouse on Hospital Road and since then people have had to make a 80-mile round trip to Derry/Londonderry.

It’s not clear if it will ever re-open. But if it shuts completely Magherafelt will have lost another public building and many people in the area will be forced to travel.