Cookstown Place Shaping Survey November 2025

Theme:- Green Space and Biodiversity
Green space and biodiversity is about enhancing, enjoying, and protecting Cookstown’s natural environment. The town benefits from a tree-lined main street and is surrounded by rich parklands and waterways, yet within the town centre itself opportunities to dwell in nature are limited. People told us they want more spaces to pause, connect, and experience the wellbeing benefits that green space brings. By strengthening biodiversity and weaving more green into the town, this theme aims to improve health, wellbeing, and climate resilience, while fostering pride of place and a stronger connection between people and nature.

Theme:- Civic Core and Identity
Civic core and identity reimagines Cookstown’s town centre as a vibrant civic heart - a people-centred place that reflects local character and strengthens everyday life. Cookstown’s famously long, broad main street, framed by historic buildings, gives the town a distinctive identity and a strong sense of place. Yet the dominance of traffic means the centre is often experienced more as a thoroughfare than a destination. With the planned bypass set to ease congestion, there is now an opportunity to refocus the civic core as a place for people - a welcoming, accessible space that celebrates Cookstown’s heritage, reflects its distinctive character, and offers more opportunities for connection, culture, and everyday life. This is the moment to reassert the main street as a true civic stage at the heart of community life.

Theme:- Connectivity
How people move to, from, and around Cookstown shapes how they experience the town. At the heart of Northern Ireland, Cookstown is naturally a regional hub. While its central location and strong main street are major strengths, traffic congestion and limited transport options can make access and movement challenging. With the bypass on the horizon, there is an opportunity to reimagine how the town works for people - making it easier to navigate, more accessible to all, and better connected to surrounding landscapes and neighbouring towns. Strengthening connections, both locally and regionally, will help Cookstown flourish as a welcoming, well-connected hub at the centre of Mid Ulster.

Theme:- Glocal* Economy
Cookstown’s strength lies in it being both a local market town and a hub of global industry. With a proud tradition of manufacturing and export, alongside a vibrant main street and independent business base, Cookstown already plays an important role in the regional economy. That tradition, rooted in Cookstown’s historic market-town identity, remains a vital part of its story and future potential. To remain resilient in a changing world, the town must adapt by embracing new forms of enterprise, evolving ways of working, and fresh visitor experiences. Cookstown has the opportunity to strengthen its authentic tourism offer and grow its noctourism (travel trend for after-dark tourism with culture, starlight and wildlife) potential, drawing people into the town centre for social, cultural, and leisure experiences. By combining its industrial strengths with support for local enterprise and a lively visitor economy, Cookstown can remain firmly rooted in place while open to global opportunity.

*Glocal- Describes the integration of global and local elements , often summarised by the phrase ‘ think globally, act locally’

Theme:- Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development is about ensuring Cookstown grows in a way that is resilient, resourceful, and future-focused. Like many towns, it faces challenges around ageing infrastructure, and the need to adapt to climate change. Growth is currently constrained by wastewater capacity, outdated utilities, and lack of viable sites, limiting new housing and business opportunities. By taking an innovation-first approach — from nature-based solutions and sustainable drainage to creative reuse and energy efficiency — Cookstown can turn leftover space into opportunities, support high-quality sustainable development, and grow in a way that benefits both people and the environment. This approach will help position Cookstown as a town that is prepared for a greener future.

Theme:- Community Life and Inclusion
Community Life & Inclusion ensures that Cookstown remains a welcoming, inclusive town for everyone - across ages, abilities, cultures and identities. Cookstown’s story is reflected in the rich diversity of people who call it home. The town’s strong sense of community and tradition of hospitality are key strengths, yet engagement revealed a desire for more spaces, voices, and opportunities that bring people together. By creating safe, accessible places for connection, amplifying voices that are not always heard, and celebrating the diversity that enriches local life, Cookstown can place community at the heart of its future, building a town where everyone can be seen, valued, and play a part of the town’s unfolding story.

We would be grateful if you can complete the monitoring information form. We are asking you to complete this form so we can measure and evidence the reach and impact of consultation regarding Cookstown Place Shaping Plan. Your feedback will make sure equality and good relations are at the heart of the development of Cookstown Place Shaping Plan.

Responses should be submitted by Monday 9 February 2026 at 5pm. If you would like any further information please contact Cookstown Regeneration Manager by emailing business@midulstercouncil.org. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.