By Connor Lynch

Copyright belfastlive

According to local residents and businesses, the perception of a Co Tyrone town is not its reality. They say the real problem is a lack of investment and support from local authorities. In the past few weeks there have been a couple of high profile incidents in Dungannon where groups have been involved in altercations where weapons have been used, with the most recent seeing a woman stabbed in the head with a screwdriver in the Oaks Avenue area on Sunday, September 14. This, alongside a viral video of a street fight on Shambles Lane , has led to a perception amongst some that the town has become dangerous or unsafe. However local residents and businesses say this is simply not the case and it is actually a wonderful place to live and work, and would be even better if it got the support it deserved. While there are some drug and substance abuse issues in town, this is reported to be among a very small minority of people and no different to the problems in any other town in Northern Ireland. Belfast Live visited Dungannon this week to speak with local residents, business owners and representatives to get their views on the recent violent altercations and the town as whole. Nearly everyone agreed that the town centre was not a dangerous place, particularly during the day time, although a couple of residents said they would be wary about walking the streets after dark. One business owner said the recent headlines were a “storm in a teacup” saying “look outside, does Dungannon look like it’s dangerous to you?” It was alleged that there are recurring issues of anti-social behaviour under the railway bridge at night time involving alcohol and drugs, but this is considered to be on the fringe of the town centre and not a widespread issue. Speaking to Belfast Live, Stephen Mohan, owner Cuba Clothing and proud Dungannon man, said that he understands the perception of the town following a couple of recent incidents, but this was not its reality. He said the only thing he and his staff feel is unsafe about the town is the lack of shops and support that they receive from Mid Ulster Council, saying that he does not know if the town will still be a good shopping destination in a few years’ time. He highlighted a number of derelict shops on Scotch Street that are set to be demolished and replaced with apartments and the area around it that has been poorly maintained. A once well-used entry on the site, that connects Scotch and Irish Street and once led into the backdoor of The Fort Bar, looks like it has not been cleaned in years as it is covered in bird droppings with small piles of what appear to be maggots covering the floor. Stephen said: “The perception that some might have of Dungannon is simply not its reality, although I can understand why some people might feel that way. If the town were unsafe, I wouldn’t have my staff working here into the evening, and if you look outside and walk around the streets, you will see there is absolutely nothing to worry about. “What does make me feel unsafe, though, is the lack of support from the council and some of the poor planning decisions that seem to be being made. “What Dungannon really needs is more shops and support to help businesses thrive. There is a lot of money in and around the town, with some great schools and sports teams, but nothing is being done to help and support customers coming into the town to spend their money. Everything is geared towards pushing people to out of town shopping centres like Rushmere and Dungannon would look a whole lot better if it got even half the support that it does. “The units that are being made available to businesses are just too small for what you are expected to pay in rent and rates, with this making it more difficult for new businesses to expand even if they want to.” Stephen continued: “The town was in a much better position when the old Dungannon council was still in place as businesses and residents found it much easier to speak with people and put forward ideas they believe will help the town. Instead with Mid Ulster, they have buried the 2015 Master Plan that was developed and nobody has any idea about the direction of the town and its future. “Nobody takes the time to come here and get to know the people of the town and our needs so we end up with decisions being made that only cause more problems for people. Look at the plans for new apartments on Scotch Street, these will see the removal of four shops and a once popular bar in order to replace them with apartments, taking away more from a town that is crying out for investment that will bring people into it and encourage trade.” Sinn Fein Councillor Deirdre Varsani said that substance abuse was the common factor in the recent violent incidents in Dungannon, and that the Justice system has questions to answer about why certain people are still able to walk the streets despite multiple convictions. She said that this is hampering the hard work of local police officers in the area along with the wider community with the issues being caused by a dozen or more people. She said: “The recent incidents that we have seen have one common factor and that is substance abuse and drugs, with there being a small minority of people in the town involved. “It is unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour that has no place here, and sadly, it has a wider impact that can hurt the local community. “Ultimately, the justice system has a lot to answer for, as I know that local police officers are doing a lot of hard work apprehending certain people only to see them released on bail, back into the community to cause problems again. I don’t understand how some people can have 30 or more convictions and continue to get bail time and time again. “These are issues in towns and cities across Northern Ireland, Dungannon is not a special case and is actually a brilliant place to live, work and raise a family. “We have a wide range of brilliant sports clubs and some of the very best schools in the country and there are many people who want to live here due to that. The difficulties some have in buying a house is a testament to that as this is somewhere that people want to live. “If you look around the town we have some fantastic independent businesses, with some like Solo Shoes currently expanding due to its success. “Investment is what the town really needs, and the creation of a hotel would go a long way in giving the town a boost. Dungannon used to have three hotels, which have all closed, and this doesn’t help attract visitors to the area. The Hill of the O’Neill is one of the best attractions in NI, where you can see all nine counties of Ulster on a good day, but visitors to it have nowhere to stay, so they are not always able to see all of the great offerings this town has to offer.” The councillor said one way people could help improve the town and its image is by coming into Dungannon Town Centre and supporting local businesses, particularly in the run-up to Christmas . She said: “Shopping local and supporting the businesses in your town is very important and it helps provide a boost to everyone and make Dungannon an even better place to live. “With the rise of online shopping and out-of-town shopping centres, it is more important than ever to support independent businesses who keep the local economy going and bring jobs to the area.” For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.