Craigavon’s industrial land remains largely undeveloped, raising concerns about Invest NI’s effectiveness in attracting businesses
Craigavon: There’s a lot of industrial land just sitting there, unused, and it’s been that way for decades. It’s kind of frustrating, right? At a recent meeting, folks were really upset about how Invest NI hasn’t been able to attract any businesses to this land. They even want a senior team from Invest NI to come back and explain what’s going on.
In Mandeville, out of nearly 98 acres, only 3 acres are being used. Meanwhile, other areas in the borough have almost all their industrial land occupied. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher when you look at the numbers. For instance, in Edenaveys, only 7.4 acres are still available out of 23.9 acres. It’s clear that something isn’t working.
According to the council, Craigavon is in a unique spot where most of its industrial land is just sitting there, undeveloped. They mentioned that 96% of it is unused, which is pretty shocking. Over the last ten years, only 4% of the land has been developed. That’s not a great track record.
Cllr Paul Duffy raised some serious questions about why Invest NI isn’t doing more to promote this land. He wondered if the land is even ready for use or if there are other issues holding things up. It’s a bit concerning, especially since 95% of the land is still available.
Nicola Wilson from Economic Development Services pointed out that a lot of the land isn’t ready for business yet. It’s just green grass, and Invest NI would need to invest a lot to make it usable. They’ve had funding issues in the past, but it seems like they’re focused on their criteria.
There’s definitely interest from transport and logistics companies, but they’re not fitting into Invest NI’s plans. It’s frustrating for everyone involved. Cllr Duffy suggested that if they can’t use the land, maybe it’s time to sell it to someone who can.
Some of this land has been around for decades, and it’s starting to look bad that nothing has been done. Cllr Tim McClelland pointed out that this land has been available for a long time, and it’s just sitting there. It raises a lot of questions about what’s going on with Invest NI.
Alderman Stephen Moutray felt that Invest NI isn’t flexible enough to help businesses grow. He mentioned that the land situation hasn’t changed much in the last 20 years, regardless of who’s in charge. It’s like they’re stuck in a rut.
Cllr Peter Lavery wanted to know if there had been any interest in the land. It turns out that while there have been inquiries, many companies have been turned away because they don’t fit the specific criteria Invest NI has set. It’s a bit of a mess, really.
