BUSINESS ratepayers within the Council area are being encouraged to have their say and share their ideas on improving the business rating system. Each year business rates generate over £655m across the North. The consultation is looking at how this amount might be raised without placing an unacceptable burden on business ratepayers. It is seeking […]
Free Christmas parking cost the Council £9,500
FREE car parking in the run-up to Christmas has been met with mixed views as the countdown to the festive season gets underway. Last year it was agreed that free parking would be offered in all Council charged off street car parks on two weekends prior to Christmas, equating to a loss of income just […]
Have your say on where to walk your dog!
THE PEOPLE of Fermanagh are being urged to have their say on where they will or will not be able to walk their dogs in future, before time runs out. The Council was at the centre of a publicity storm this summer when it first announced its proposals to introduce dog control orders, which would […]
Vandals target Forum play park – again
MINDLESS vandals forced the closure of a busy Enniskillen play park last week, and not for the first time. The Lakeland Forum was forced to close its popular playground facilities after it was discovered red paint had been thrown on the adventure area and slide. With the schools shut for summer, and visitors flocking to […]
Forthill Park: the quietest beauty spot in Fermanagh?
THERE’S little doubt that Forthilll Park in Enniskillen is one of the county town’s most attractive public spaces. The trouble is it is woefully underused, not enough people seem to know about it, and by and large it lies empty for most of the year. Although major plans are being put in place to develop […]
West Fermanagh chosen as guinea pig for new census
THE PEOPLE of west Fermanagh are to be guinea pigs for the next census. While the census is not due to happen until March 2021, over 4,000 households in the west of the county will have to take part in a ‘test run’ of the process this October, over a year-and-a-half before the rest of […]
Tributes paid to councillor who ‘put Fermanagh first’
TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Ulster Unionist Councillor Eddie Elliott (96) who passed away peacefully at the South West Acute Hospital on Saturday. Colleagues in the UUP said that Mr Elliott’s death brings “a loss of a great advocate in Fermanagh” who served as party member for over 40 years, during which time […]
Lengthy waits for youngsters for mental health support
MORE needs to be done for children and young people with mental health issues, it has been claimed at a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh Council. Children and young people within the Western Trust have to wait nine weeks for a non-urgent appointment, 10 days for an urgent appointment and one day for an emergency […]
New councillor pushes for answers on health initiative
THE future of our local health service has been one of the first issues to come up for discussion at the first meeting of the newly elected Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh called for clarity in regard to council involvement in the Pathfinder initiative set up by the Western Trust to gauge […]
‘Dreadful’ security dampens election celebrations
QUESTIONS have been asked about the level of security at the election count after families and friends of candidates were refused entry. On Friday and Saturday there was a high security presence at Omagh Leisure Centre during the election count, and only those on a pre-approved list were allowed into the centre. Those attending were […]