STREET FIGHT
Business people in Listowel are furious over proposal to remove parking spaces from outside their doors
TRADERS in Listowel town centre are furious at a Council proposal to remove carparking spaces wholesale from their front doors.
Kerry County Council flagged the changes last week as part of a national roadmap to reopening urban spaces safely in light of the virus.
But Listowel is in line for changes that traders fear will be nothing less than a ‘disaster’ – involving the removal of all carparking along most of William Street and along one side of Church Street.
At a time when they are struggling to get back on their feet they say the removal of so many spaces will be a major blow.
Kerry County Council received extensive submissions on the proposal by the Tuesday deadline this week – less than a week after the changes were flagged – leading to hopes the measures might be moderated, however.
Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant owner Jerry Behan described the move as a ‘disaster’. He is currently only operating as a take-away and the loss of car space at his door would come as a hammer blow to what exists of his business.
“If they go ahead with that it’s another nail in our coffin and we may as well close up. It would be a disaster... I can tell you one thing sure and certain. If they go ahead and do what they plan to do, a lot of us won’t be paying them next year.”
Pharmacist Oonagh Harnett was among traders who met with Council bosses in Listowel on Monday. She described the proposals as ‘draconian’ and said that in the case of her business it would lead to greater health fears for customers: “We use these car spaces as a haven for people to come in safely to us. They phone in their pharmacy needs and my staff or I deliver them out to their car which is parked across the road. A lot of these people would be elderly or nervous of the restrictions.”
Chairperson of the Listowel Municipal Authority, Jimmy Moloney, described the measures as ‘a bit extreme’. “One of my suggestions would be to make the footpaths one-way, down one footpath and up the other, etc. That would cover our safety issue and will still leave the parking spaces available.”
He told The Kerryman that he was informed on Tuesday that the Council is reviewing the measures now and that he was hopeful of a ‘reprieve’ by a council meeting on Friday at the Listowel Community Centre on the issue.
KERRY County Council’s move to slash parking spaces in the centre of Listowel will destroy the livelihoods of town centre traders just as they are struggling back to their feet after the lockdown.
That was the clear message from traders to Council top brass at a meeting in Listowel on the temporary changes that form part of the Government roadmap for reopening the country safely.
Kerry County Council is proposing to remove parking on William Street and along one side of Church St – two of the town’s busiest trading streets – in a bid to give people more space in which to maintain a virus-busting distance of two metres.
However, most of the businesses on both streets are dependant on customers being able to park briefly on-street to shop. They fear the new measures – however temporary – will simply drive the custom they have fought tooth-and-nail for further into online shopping and the larger urban centres they have long been up against.
Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant owner Jerry Behan said he might as well ‘close-up’ if the measures are brought in in a fornight. He is currently entirely dependant on takeaway trade ahead of the June 29 date for the reopening of his sector – with customers parking up right outside to collect.
“If they go ahead with that it’s another nail in our coffin and we may as well close up. It would be a disaster. We are doing takeout at the minute, if they take away the parking, if someone rings up for takeaway they would have to park up in Market St or the Square to walk up to collect it knowing it would be cold by the time they get home. Or if its raining? They wouldn’t dream of phoning in an order. And to get hit with this just as we’re trying to get back on our feet...it’s crazy.”
He said he feels as if the Council have lost sight of the fact the Authority is dependant on the traders for its survival.
“The Council willl need the business people when all this is over. My rates are around €14,000 every year. I can tell you one thing sure and certain. If they go ahead and do what they plan to do a lot of us won’t be paying them next year.”
“This was landed on us without consulstation.
I have to say the local councillors were absolutely brilliant Mike Kennelly, Jimmy Moloney and Aoife Thornton, they made us aware of it just last week when they learned of it,” Mr Behan said.
Pharmacist Oonagh Harnett, also operating on Lower William Street, attended the meeting with Council heads on Monday where she – like her fellow traders –implored them to reconsider the proposals for Listowel.
Ms Harnett cited both a WHO report finding a distance of one metre between people sufficient to break the virus chain outdoors, as well as our own Department of Health’s categorisation of outdoor activity as ‘ low-risk’ for COVID transmission.
Ms Harnett said that the removal of carparking spaces outside her pharmacy would, in fact, have the effect of increasing the risk to her customers, many of them elderly: “We use these car spaces as a haven for people to come in safely to us. They phone in their pharmacy needs and my staff or I deliver them out to their car which is parked across the road. A lot of these people would be elderly or nervous of the restrictions.
“It is a fantastic means of extending our service and those carparking spaces actually boost the public health in allowing people feel safer coming in to collect their requirements.”
Ms Harnett argued for the Council to instead introduce a one-way system on the footpaths, that would see people walking with traffic moving up William Street and against it when moving down the street. She praised the people of Listowel for the level of responsibility they have shown all along throughout the pandemic, evidence they could continue observing social restrictions outdoors without the need for what she said was a ‘ draconian’ move.
Pierse Walsh of John R’s Food Hall and Delicatessen on Church St echoed Ms Harnett’s comments on public behaviour: “I honestly don’t see the need for it. I think throughout Ireland people have behaved impeccably during this pandemic, particulary here in Kerry.
People have been very mindful of the situation we are in and I think for the Council to start imposing things like that on people is just wrong. I think they should treat people with a little more respect. The public will remain very careful and mindful of this virus for a long time to come and I don’t think they are going to be in anyway flippant about it.
“What they should do is stencil arrows on the footpaths informing people of a one-way pedestrian system. The public is not favourable to it at all.
“We need more parking, not less, especially when we’re trying to get back on our feet after this lockdown.”
Damian Stack of Stack’s Furniture and Interiors on William Street cited the WHO: “If you read the WHO guidelines, one metre is sufficient in terms of outdoor transmission, but two is better. The Government here is still abiding by the two-metre limit but could change its mind in a week’s time and go with a one-metre guideline.
“I was speaking to a woman from Moyvane today going into the butchers who made the point as to what would she be expected to do with her children while parking further away.”
Mr Stack was also critical of the way the measure is being imposed with little or no prior consultation with business.
Brenda Woulfe of Woulfe’s Bookshop on Church Street said she could understand it, but felt it was ‘drastic’.
“I know where they are coming from but a metre between people outdoors is sufficient.”
Listowel Chairperson Jimmy Moloney raised that very point, saying the elected representatives of the town had only learned of the move last Wednesday in an online meeting.
He was critical of the method of imposition by executive function of the roadmap, rather than by a process that would require councillors to vote on the changes.
“Many of our businesses need space for pickups, like the restaurants that have adapted to takeaway service. I think the Council should be supporting them, rather than placing hindrances on them. We all acknowled we need to make
Listowel a safe town, and I do accept there are concerns that we have to listen to.
“But one of my suggestions would be to make the footpaths oneway, down one footpath and up the other, etc.
“That would cover our safety issue and will still leave the parking spaces available for these times. I just think it is probably a bit extreme..
“Traders have huge concerns over it. 2020 will be a hard year for everyone, both those who have taken drastic steps to adapt their business and remain open and those that have yet to open.
“Their main fear is it will hamper footfall into their businesses. They need the spaces there for people operating deliveries, for pharmacy customers zooming in for two or three minutes, for restaurants and cafés doing takeways.
“I also have a concern this is being pushed without a vote, using the provisions of the Road Trafffic Act to bring it in.
“I don’t think that’s the right way to go. These businesses are the lifeblood of our towns and communities, 100 per cent.”
He said he did not believe there was any danger the measures would become permanent.