Banbridge / Newry and Mourne Area Plan 2015
District Proposals: Gilford Town Centre

Gilford is a town centre serving a very localised shopping function. It contains a number of retail units, most of which have been created through the conversion of former dwellings. Although retailing is concentrated in Mill Street, there are sections of retail frontage in Dunbarton Street with shops units interspersed with non-retail units, some of which are dwellings.

The main shopping area provides a range of comparison and convenience goods and includes public houses, restaurants / hot food outlets, hairdressers / beauty salons, a post office, and a pharmacy as well as several small-scale independent retailers. There are also some community use facilities such as a library, two churches, a church hall (Presbyterian) and British Legion Club within the town centre boundary.

There are current opportunities for new retail activity within the town centre and it will undoubtedly gain as a result of the proposed Hotel and Leisure complex, on the site of the former Gilford Mill. This redevelopment may act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the town centre. Recent new development in Mill Street has created some purpose-built retail floorspace and there are a number of vacant, former retail units, which have the potential to be refurbished or redeveloped.

Access to the town is generally good, but as Gilford is situated on a main arterial route (A50), the increasing volume of traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, causes periodic congestion in the heart of the town. The main car park is in Bridge Street, to the rear of Nos. 1-3 Mill Street, but this facility needs to be improved, with a possible car park on Castle Hill, close to the town centre.

There are a number of sites, including those to the rear of existing frontages, which may present opportunities for development.

A detailed town centre health check was carried out as part of the development plan process to provide a benchmark against which to measure the effects of future change in economic activity in the town centre. Details of the town centre health check are contained in the Retailing Technical Supplement.

A town centre boundary is designated to allow for possible expansion of business and leisure/community activity in the town, and so includes both commercial and non-commercial uses. It includes an expanse of land to the rear of Mill Street/ Dunbarton Street which runs along the banks of the River Bann. It also includes the existing Church Hall and associated car park on Castle Hill and land to the rear of properties immediately to the south of this, on Mill Street.

Development proposals within the town centre will be processed in accordance with prevailing regional planning policy.

The following site is zoned as a Development Opportunity Site. Policy for the control of development on zoned sites is contained in Policy SMT 2 in Volume 1 of the Plan. Zoned land will be developed in accordance with all prevailing regional planning policy and with any relevant Plan Policies and Proposals, including where specified, key site requirements.

The Transport Assessment should consider the impact of development on traffic flows in the town centre.