Fears over the potential for a stall shopper to be injured by a galloping horse have led to the plan being driven forward by Moyle Council.

It is expected security barriers will be put in place at Fairhill Street to allow horses to be galloped on the road and spectators kept at a safe distance on the footpath.

The Fairhill Street car park will be given over to horse boxes and transporters. There has been some disappointment from regular stall holders in the area but they will be relocated to other pitches in the town centre.

Last year there was an incident at Fairhill Street when an individual was hurt.
The driver of a horse and cart was cautioned for 'furious driving'.
The horse and cart were going up and down Fairhill Street when a 19-year-old man was struck and needed three to four stitches.
Independent councillor Seamus Blaney said the absence of stalls at Fairhill Street will give horsemen more room to gallop up and down the street to "show off" the horses.

SDLP councillor Madeline Black said the area was "unsafe" last year.
She added: "These horsemen were riding up and down the road - bareback riding - during the Fair. It was very unsafe and frightening."
Council official Peter Mawdsley confirmed the Fairhill Street changes were governed by health and safety considerations.
"We are trying to take steps to separate people from the horses on display."

DUP councillor Robert McIlroy agreed: "We have to make the Fair safe."
Councillor Blaney feared if they change too much at the Fair it could be detrimental.

"If we keep taking bits out every year we are going to ruin it."
He said the Fair should be run the way it was before "without all this health and safety nonsense" when he claimed there were "very few accidents" in years gone by.

Meanwhile Moyle Council has agreed to reinstate a Council Working Party for the Fair.
Councillor Cathal Newcombe (Sinn Fein) said they had to investigate how best to keep the Fair to the forefront.
"I think it is time we did something," he added.

Sinn Fein councillor Oliver McMullan said: "We are one of the three Fairs of Ireland. We should be capitalising on that.
"At some stage we are going to have to look at the Fair. Ballinasloe did it. They revamped their Fair. We should talk to them about how they dealt with their horses. You could end up ruining part of the ethos of the Fair, that brings people there."

Councillor Blaney agreed with the Council Working Party being re-born and added: "Since we did away with it the Fair has went down the tubes."
Ulster Unionist councillor Helen Harding said a few people are not happy about changes in the Fairhill Street area.