New ‘health check’ reveals what people think of Sligo town centre
A NEW ‘health check’ of Sligo town centre has revealed what both consumers and business owners think of the town and what are its good and bad points.
In a survey of consumers the most positive ratings were for the choice and quality of cafes/restaurants available and the standard of service and variety of goods in shops, while their biggest gripes were parking, traffic flow, lack of seating and areas to congregate.
From a business point of view all of the businesses surveyed had been affected by Covid-19 measures, with more than 50% saying their turnover had decreased by between 50% and 90%.
More than half of shoppers felt that Brexit would have a negative impact on the town centre and nearly twothirds of business owners felt that it had already impacted on trading conditions.
The problem of empty premises emerged starkly in a survey of 1,500 premises which showed that 200 are vacant.
The threat of online shopping was also highlighted with a third of consumers saying they shopped online at least once a month and only a third of those purchases were from local businesses.
Those are just a sample of the findings of the Collaborative Town Centre Health Check (CTCHC) “assessing the strengths and opportunities of Sligo’s historic town centre”.
Launching the report, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said it “provides hugely insightful data on the health of the town and a wonderful insight into how it is perceived by the people who know it best – its citizens and its businesspeople”.
He said the government was “committed to the regeneration of these town centres, bringing vacant buildings back into use, making it more attractive for people to live there, and supporting our towns as they reopen and recover”.
“This survey was, of course, largely carried out pre-Covid 19. While it is difficult for us to consider bustling town centres at this time, we must hold firm to the belief that this pandemic will end and that towns, with our support, will strive and prosper,” he said.
The report is part of a scheme which sees the Heritage Council partner with local organisations to collect a range of data that “will help to inform investment decisions for the management and revitalisation of the historic town centre”.
Sligo was one of 12 towns selected to participate in a pilot programme co-ordinated by the Heritage Council, in collaboration with third level institutions and other agencies.
In Sligo the Heritage Council worked with Sligo Business Improvement District (BID), IT Sligo, Sligo Chamber, Sligo County Council and Sligo Tidy Towns. The data was collected during 2019 and 2020.
A15-step process looked at the overall health of the town centre but focused on a number of key areas: land use, consumers’ opinions and attitudes, business owners’ attitudes, footfall, movement and accessibility. IT Sligo students, under the supervision of lecturers of the Yeats Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture, collected data on the “vitality and vibrancy of the historic town centre” and worked with local businesses in creating data for a land-use survey, which examined the use of ground floor space in the core town centre area.
This core area covered Teeling Street, Castle Street, Grattan Street, O’Connell Street, Wine Street, Stephen Street, Bridge Street, Thomas Street, Market Street, High Street, John Street, Adelaide Street, and included approx 1,150 units, both occupied and vacant. The survey was conducted in March 2020.
Market research company IPSOS was comissioned to undertake consumer surveys and completed over 400 questionnaires.
In addition, 80 randomly selected business owners were invited by Sligo BID in January 2020 to participate in a commercial survey and 32 responded. A further business survey on the impact of the pandemic was conducted by Sligo BID in May 2020, highlighting the difficulties and potential solutions for Sligo town centre to adapt to this new trading environment.
Speaking at the online launch of the report – which can be viewed on YouTube – Heritage Council chief executive Virginia Teehan said: “Dating back to Norman times, the layout of Sligo’s historic streets and laneways makes Sligo one of the most picturesque settlements along the Wild Atlantic Way.
“Therefore, we were disappointed to see the vacancy rate of buildings in the town centre and the lack of engagement with heritage activities on Sligo’s doorstep.
“While Sligo is due to benefit from initiatives such as the Heritage Council’s Historic Towns Initiatives and the Urban Regeneration Development Fund, the research highlights the need for a heritage-led town renewal plan for Sligo.
Sligo BID chief executive Gail McGibbon felt that the partnerships forged through this collaborative data-gathering process can help see “true long-lasting change for Sligo town centre”. She said that establishing critical baseline information was vitally important to towns such as Sligo and it was essential that the programme for government invests in this much-needed programme to support historic town centres in Ireland.”
IT Sligo president Dr Brendan McCormack said: “We are a ‘region in transition’ and we need to drive forward projects that enable the revitalisation of Sligo town as a centre of regional development, as identified by the key aims of Project Ireland 2040”. Sligo County Council chief executive Ciarán Hayes said the report provided a framework for taking
stock of Sligo’s assets. He said: “We must be equipped with this sort of data-driven process to build for the future. As a town in Ireland’s North West, Sligo, like other towns, is facing unchartered territory yet has so much to offer, and this report will help us to enhance and maximise the quality of life for everyone in the town and for newcomers who have moved here more recently.”
Finbarr Filan from Sligo Tidy Towns said that “a healthy and vibrant town centre is important for everyone who lives, works and visits Sligo town”. “This process is fundamentally about how a town’s heritage informs our sense of identity. Heritage reminds us of how important our town is in who we are – it is as important and as simple as that.”