Two young businessmen have put together an ambitious £4m-plus retail and apartment Main Street development which, they feel, will enhance the town. And, in response to a local objector, the developers, Palmvale Developments Ltd (Craig Bennett and Keith Trotter), along with their architect are considering amending their plans in order to retain the boundary wall of the town's quaint but historic Old Market Yard.
In all, the wall together with six Main Street properties, including a garden centre and a bakery/café are to be demolished as a prelude to the construction of the two retail units. They will replace the garden centre and the bakery/café and will extend the length of the street presently occupied by the six properties to be demolished. In addition, 26 apartments will be built over the retail units, extending along Main Street to the Old Market Yard.
After a planning application seeking permission to 'demolish and build' appeared in newspapers on 1st February last, Captain Robert Lowry of Blessingbourne Estate, whose family own the Old Market Yard, but not the boundary wall, submitted an objection. He did not contact either developer but, rather, relayed his concerns about the demolition of the boundary wall to the 'Herald'.
"There is very little of old Fivemiletown left now, and I want to preserve what we have".
Captain Lowry's family links with the Old Market Yard stretch back to 1836 when his great, great grandfather, Colonel Hugh Montgomery built the yard as a market place for the sale of flax, eggs, butter and potatoes. The market ceased to function with the demise Fivemiletown's monthly fairs, in the late 1950's.
In the days before the yard, the old Clabby Road went through the area it later occupied and, ironically, when the proposed new retail units/apartments are completed, there will be vehicular access through the existing entrance off Edfield Way.
Craig Bennett, speaking to the 'Herald' this week along side his architect, Kevin McKernan of McKernan Associates Ltd, Belturbet explained that no one, let alone Captain Lowry, had approached him about the boundary wall.
"We regret that no one has approached us and that, instead, they have gone to the newspapers to highlight this issue. We have no problem with the wall. We are open to all suggestions and we are available to discuss the development with any interested parties.
"We are trying to add to the character of the old market yard in that it will end up being used. Obviously, we're trying to improve the Main Street and the town itself".
Mr McKernan said he and his clients had put a lot of work into the application. Some of the properties on Main Street at the moment are not very attractive and, what we are proposing, is a building of similar size but to integrate the traditional style, like the Old Market Yard and, to the rear elevation, we are looking at a more attractive modern approach.
"Certainly, the front elevation is in keeping with the traditional street facade. It will comprise two modern retail units replacing the two existing retail units on the street. At present, you have shop units on the ground floor and residential space above, and what we are doing is replacing that, but we have integrated the whole lot.
"I think this is definitely a huge improvement on what's there at the moment, but we are certainly open to suggestions and if there is anything to be done or people wanted, we will try and integrate that into the plans".
As for Mr Bennett, who has a number of businesses in Fivemiletown, he was in no doubt that the £4m development could only do good.
"I am here to enhance the town. I want to see more business in the town and I want to see Fivemiletown grow. In fact, you could almost call this a signature building in the centre of the town".
