We posed the question to readers last year , and among the top suggestions were lower business rates, more free parking spaces, and tackling the problem of vacant shop units. Since then, residents have responded with some further ideas on how the town could be improved – do you have any more to add to the list? Thanks to the work of community groups, schools and other individuals, Larne is off to a great start when it comes to celebrating local faces through the medium of murals, with figures such as Richard Hayward and Valerie Hobson adorning walls in the town centre. But could this be expanded further? One resident wrote: "The murals on some of the walls down the street - how much it would cost to decorate the shutters of all the buildings that are closed, or even the shops that are still operating to chip in money to get murals on their shutters?" Photo: National World While Larne has many fantastic shops, locals would love to see an even greater variety of retail outlets.
"We need different type of shops to attract people to come into Larne town more," one resident wrote. Synchronising opening and closing hours in shops could also "bring the hustle and bustle back" to the town, another suggested. Photo: Pexels from Pixabay More indoor or soft play facilities for children would also be a welcome addition to the town.
One local person said: "Mothers and their kids need somewhere to go on rainy days to meet up and get out of the house." Photo: Mark Salmon from Pixabay A tr.