Town boss for chop?

Lurgan is currently without a town manager following the resignation of Noel Ferguson from Lurgan Forward last year.

And it doesn’t look like a new helmsman will be appointed for the town.

At a recent meeting of the council’s development committee councillors voted in favour of a proposal to remove Lurgan and Portadown's town centre managers and replace them with one manager based at the civic centre.

The issue will be further discussed on Monday at the monthly council meeting.

A council spokesperson said: “In order to attract significant funding from central government, we need to move from the fragmented style of the past to a more co-ordinated focused and strategic approach working in partnership with all the public and private sectors.

“Hence the success with the public realm scheme with over 7million of an investment for both Portadown and Lurgan.”

The spokesperson added: “Furthermore, by moving the town centre management role back to council, there will be an overall enhancement of the function with a team working on behalf of Portadown, Lurgan and the Central area. This is a forward thinking strategic move and one that has to be taken if we are to succeed regionally in attracting any potential funding to the borough.”

Following Mr Ferguson’s resignation from Lurgan Forward after several years, the town centre management company has been 'project managed' by Amanda Wagg.

It’s understood the town centre manager for Portadown is off on maternity leave.

Lurgan Forward Chairman Des Lavery commented: “Lurgan Forward have had knowledge of the Craigavon Borough Council Development Committee’s opinion on the existing town centre management issue. We as a broad-based group of Lurgan people feel that it is important to have a town manager and office based in each of the two main town centres.”

He added: “Council’s wish to centralise town centre management to the civic centre may give some benefits such as bringing the Central area of Craigavon into play. However, further discussions with council are needed to address how the loss of the on-site function of the town centre manager, office and lay people input are to be compensated for.”