Councillors seek parking discs for business owners
The members of Castlebar Town Council were given assurances by the town manager Seamus Granahan that he would look into providing parking discs for business owners like the ones that are provided for residents. The issue was brought up by independent Councillor Michael Kilcoyne, who said at the meeting: “I would like to see the manager carry out some kind of review to see can we do some kind of parking permit for the ratepayers in the town. Business is going down everywhere. I’m sure there is something we can do for them, like the residential permits that we have for residents, for the business people to park on the street. I’m just asking about the feasibility”. Cllr Kilcoyne’s idea was supported by a number of his council colleagues. Cllr Blackie Gavin told the meeting that this was an issue that had been raised on the doorstep with him and that he was in support of it. Cllr Aidan Crowley said that as a business person and a ratepayer he was also in support of such a idea.
Mr Granahan told the members: “I will look at it, but we are trying to encourage people to park in the long term car parks and free up the streets for the people who are coming in and out of the main streets to do some shopping.”
Members welcome progress on Main Street redevelopment
The members of the town council were very welcoming of the continued movement on the redevelopment of the Main Street area in the town. Senior engineer for the council Patsy Bourke gave the members a report on the works, which included the widening and resurfacing of the footpaths on the street from the Linenhall junction to the traffic lights at the Mall, the development on five pedestrian crossing points on the street, and the general overhaul of the street. A number of submissions had been made to the council on the development by business people, and Mr Bourke told the members that they would try to accommodate all the people who made submissions.
Cllr Therese Ruane put forward the idea that all the stone that will be used in the project should be sourced from Ireland. Mr Bourke said that the project should start around September or October. Mayor Kevin Guthrie asked Mr Bourke if night work would be involved so as not to disrupt the business people in the town too much, which Bourke replied: “Possibly there will be, we will do our best to avoid holding up the town.” Mayor Guthrie went on to say: “There is a great feeling in the town about this and everyone is looking forward to it.”
Councillors won’t be held to ransom
A letter sent to all the candidates in the forthcoming town council elections caused some anger at last week’s town council meeting. Mayor Kevin Guthrie raised the letter from Rowan Drive residents’ association, which the residents wanted each of the candidates to sign. In signing the letter the councillors were promising not to vote on any development in relation to the town park, unless the residents’ association agreed with them. Mayor Guthrie told the meeting: “When I read it I felt there was a gun being put to my head. I won’t sign it because I believe if we do, we could leave ourselves open to legal action”. Mayor Guthrie’s view was backed up by Cllr Aidan Crowley who said: “If we sign this, the council is creating a precedent, and if we do every other residents’ association in the town will have a gun to our heads too”.
Sale of house causes debate
The potential sale of a house in St Bridget’s Crescent by Castlebar Town Council sparked the anger of a number of the elected members last week. The council outlined that they had two choices, to either fix the house up or sell it on the open market. Town clerk Marie Crowley told the members that the council didn’t have the money in their funds to pay for the repairs so they would look into selling the property. Independent Cllr Michael Kilcoyne told the meeting: “There are over 400 families on the housing list and in principle I would be against this. If it had to be sold why wasn’t it done two years ago, whereas by now the property has lost 40 per cent of it’s value.” Town manager Seamus Granahan told the members: “Our first choice is to refurbish the house but the question is where is the council to get the money for it? I will endeavour to try and find the money to repair it first, but if we can’t find the money we will have to try and sell it.”
