The state of Enniskillen’s High Street has become a growing concern for locals, businesses, and visitors alike. Once a bustling destination, the town centre now faces increasing vacancy, declining retail variety, and growing frustrations about rent, rates, and accessibility. With similar towns across the UK feeling the pressure of a changing retail landscape, is Enniskillen doing enough to fight back?
Our Opinion
Enniskillen High Street is, quite frankly, poorly designed for modern shopping. In fact, the town itself feels badly designed in general. Many of the buildings are old, protected, or outdated, leaving little room for expansion, redevelopment, or modern retail fit-outs. The Diamond – meant to be the centrepiece of the town – is far too small to serve as a vibrant focal point, and unfortunately, there’s no real way to fix it.
Currently, the High Street is a mix of cafés, bars, charity shops, and a scattered handful of clothing and retail stores. There’s not enough of a draw to encourage people to spend a few hours there shopping. The variety simply isn’t there – and that’s a major problem.
Now, we understand the importance of cafés and restaurants – after all, Enniskillen is still very much a tourist town, and food and drink options are important. But let’s be honest, you can’t expect people to make a day out of it when there’s so little else on offer.
Then there’s the issue of rent and rates. We all know the situation: the same two to four families own most of the commercial buildings in town, and they charge city-centre level rents for buildings that are far from it. Many of these buildings are simply not worth what they think they are – and that’s hurting the local economy. When landlords prioritise profit over community, you end up with boarded-up shops and missed opportunities.
And what about the council? Well, we can all agree Fermanagh has been poorly managed since it was merged with Omagh. There’s a clear lack of investment and forward-thinking when it comes to Enniskillen, and it’s showing on the High Street.
Let’s say a big-name retailer wants to set up shop here. Where would they go? Sure, there are a few empty units – but most of them aren’t suitable for modern retail brands. They’re either too small, oddly shaped, or too difficult (and expensive) to renovate. So the idea of seeing brands like:
- WHSmith
- John Lewis
- Selfridges
- H&M
- River Island
- Primark
- TK Maxx
- B&Q
- Body Shop
- Disney Store
- Greggs
- Halfords
- IKEA
…set up in town is just not realistic right now. Not on the High Street anyway.
As for smaller and independent brands? They’re struggling too. One local business owner told us they were paying £40,000 a year in rent – over £3,000 a month – and that’s before rates and utility bills. Unless you’re bringing in over £5,000 a month just to break even, it’s simply not sustainable. That’s why so many independents close within a year. It’s a vicious cycle.
People like to blame online shopping, but let’s be clear – it’s not the real issue here. Online shopping gives people more choice, yes, but the High Street is still about experience: browsing, socialising, and buying in the moment. That’s something Amazon can’t replicate. The problem is, the experience just isn’t good enough anymore.
We know high streets across the country are struggling, but the fall of the High Street in a town like Enniskillen hits harder. It affects tourism, local pride, jobs, and the overall community. Something must be done – and the responsibility falls on both the landlords and the council, who need to stop playing gatekeepers and start working towards solutions.
Unfortunately, based on past and present actions, we’re not holding our breath. It’s hard to see either the council or the landlords making meaningful changes anytime soon.
The decline of Enniskillen’s High Street isn’t just a local issue – it reflects broader problems that many towns across the UK are facing. But Enniskillen has so much potential, and with the right support, planning, and leadership, there’s still time to turn things around.
What do you think needs to happen to save Enniskillen’s High Street? Let us know on our Facebook Page.
Note: This article is solely an opinion piece and reflects the information and views available at the time of publishing. No false claims have been made, and no misinformation has been intentionally provided.
