Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) approved a measure to create a new strategy and action plan for the "maintenance and beautification" of the city centre at its most recent meeting.

Co-owner of Sonny's Bakery and Café Anthony Daniels says the move has been a long time coming as the state of Peel Street gets increasingly dire.

"Especially after country music the street was completely a mess," Mr Daniels said.

The café co-owner said he wants Peel Street to have a similar vibe to main streets in capital cities, with a "comprehensive nightlife plan" to entice visitors.

Just up the road, another café owner also said the biggest issues for CBD businesses are street cleaning and bird droppings.

"It's a good thing they're starting to think about it, because it needs to get done," Cafe Vivaldi owner Dinesh Goyal said.

Mr Goyal says council used to clean the street every morning, but cleaning became much more sporadic about a year ago.

Another major concern for Peel Street businesses is damage to underground infrastructure from trees.

"Right in front of the shop we had two tiles pop up from getting pushed by the roots," Mr Goyal said.

Street cleaning and finding a solution to the root issue are expected to be major focuses for TRC, though the details of its new strategy still need fleshing out.

Other retailers on Peel Street told the Leader they'd like to see more car parking and recreational spaces included in the strategy's long-term goals.

But some are worried an increased focus on the CBD will mean other areas get left behind.

"I drive in to work from Calala and the potholes out there are absolutely atrocious," one retailer said.

"It takes multiple potholes to get council's attention. They don't seem to do anything unless the entire street is torn up, and even then it can take ages."

The concerned resident said TRC seems to prioritise attracting tourists over improving life for locals.

Tamworth mayor Russell Webb said he's noticed more potholes around town after the recent rain, but pushed back against the idea that council isn't doing anything about it.

"We are limited in funds and in the amount of hours we can put into it, but I can tell you the engineering department are working as hard as they can to repair those potholes as they come up," Cr Webb said.

He said an additional $8.7 million will go to road works each year if council's 36.3 per cent special rate variation gets approved.

"Without that money we're probably never going to be able to meet the needs of the community," Cr Webb said.

The mayor said more details on the CBD strategy and regional road works will be revealed once council finalises its budget for the next financial year.