THE business environment has changed so much that businesses which formerly flourished in the high streets are fast disappearing said a local buinessman. The Carlton Bakery in Omagh is the latest to announce that it will close its doors in March.

Owner Tony Kearns informed the 25 members of staff about the closure on Friday past and said that they were almost expecting the news given that it had been talked about on a number of occasions over the past two years.

He said that the big building in the High Street doesn't readily lend itself to the business.

However, was keen to point out that 'the Carlton hasn't gone away' and that the coffee shop /bakery in Sedan Avenue (in the former premises of the now defunct Omagh Town Football Club) is thriving and plans to expand its range of bakery products.

He advised that staff at the High Street premises would be made redundant saying that in the past 10-15 years the number of home bakeries in Britain had declined from 30,000 to about 3,000, something which he and other bakers are attributing to the fact that out of town stores, are taking people off the high streets. Also the big stores can afford to offer products as loss leaders.

"It's the same with the milkmen, and the butchers, years ago you might have had a half a dozen butchers in the town, and quite a few bakeries. Also it's difficult to run a business in the town in the current climate, and things are not made easier by the fact that you can't even park. That has nothing to do with why I'm closing, but it doesn't encourage people to come into the town."

Mr Kearns, who took over the business 11 years ago indicated that he was not overly sentimental about the High Street premises, "You can't think like that in business", but he said that the premises had not been sold and would not be sold for quite some time.