Changes welcome as new business rises in Enniskillen

AS IS the case in any city, town or hamlet, things never stay the same for too long.

This unwavering fact of life is especially clear as we look around the town of Enniskillen these days.

For those travelling into the county town via Cornagrade, it’s hard to miss the monolith development that is progressing at the former site of Unipork.

More than 20 years ago, there was much sadness locally when the site’s 200 workers were let go, but fast forward to the modern day site, and the outlook is much more positive.

The location, which has long sat empty, is once again set to become a hive of activity by as ear-ly as Christmas this year, much to the excitement of local folk.

For many, the site represents what the town has long been asking for. Its planned bowling alley will delight young and old, and many will be enthralled at the arrival of big names such as Home Bargains and The Range.

In many ways, the Lakelands Retail and Leisure Park heralds a new era for Enniskillen.

However, in equal measure, it’s also incumbent that local business leaders find ways to ensure that the development, and established town centre business community, can successfully co-exist.

In doing so, the local economy can be strengthened two-fold, with

Enniskillen boasting first-class family businesses as well as national chains.

As one ventures further into Enniskillen town centre, other developments are afoot.

For years, local people have called for a Mcdonalds drive-thru, which is a feature of most other large towns in Northern Ireland.

Now, at the Dublin Road, the realisation of this aspiration is happening in real time.

Once a place where people would have ‘driven out’ in their new vehicles, the former TP

Top-ping garage is now being transformed into a place they will instead ‘drive through’.

Indeed, much like the former employees of Unipork (who are incidentally set for a reunion this month), many will have their own memories of TP Toppings’ garage, and Enniskillen in general as it was in years gone by.

Indeed, as we see these major projects come to fruition, let us remember that it’s important to respect the past, enjoy the present, and look to the future for the bustling island town.