Businesses count cost of roadworks

ROADWORKS taking place in North Clare for the past six weeks are costing local businesses in some cases as much as 80% of their custom, it was claimed this week.

Clare County Council, using a contractor, is carrying out major resurfacing works between the garda station in Ennistymon and Blake’s and Linnane’s Corner in the town.
Fine Gael Councillor Martin Conway described the timing of the work, at the height of the tourism season, as “farcical”.
At the Ennistymon Electoral Area meeting on Monday, the council confirmed the roadworks on the N85 are due to be completed by August 22, adding that the contractor would be on holidays from this Friday until August 9.
“This whole thing has been a farce from beginning to end,” Councillor Conway stated. “A letter went out in February to say that roadworks would begin on February 29 and last for three weeks. That date didn’t even exist. The work didn’t start in February, March, April or even May. It started in mid-June and we were then told it would take three to four weeks, maximum. It is now going on most of June, all of July and won’t be finished until the end of August.”
“All elements to this project have proven to be farcical, the timing of it especially. To think it would be done in the height of the season in a recession when people are depending on the boost they get in the middle of the summer to pay their rates and bills for the rest of the year. It is an absolute disgrace that this opportunity has been taken away from a number of businesses in Ennistymon. It has shown a total lack of respect for people and has shown no understanding whatsoever of the challenges businesses have been facing in recent times.
“It is laughable to think that the main connection between Clare and the North Clare area is a complete building site for the main months of June, July and August. I am going to be raising this to find out what has gone on, who made the decisions and what rationale is behind it,” the chairman of Clare County Council’s Planning, Land Use and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee added.
“You would think with roadworks taking place in the height of the tourist season in recent years we would have learned our lesson and yet we see this going on. It actually brings our reputation as a local authority into disrepute. I am furious about this,” Councillor Conway told The Clare Champion.

Drop in business

Local businesses have reported a significant drop in custom. Stefan Unglert of Unglert’s Bakery said the effects of the roadworks have been catastrophic for his company.
“Today you might as well stay closed because this time of the year, you do any of that kind of roadwork, your business is done for. Anyone who came in parked either up at the church or at SuperValu or the garda station to come to me. If you were going downtown, it would take you half an hour to get through it. It is mayhem up here,” he said on Wednesday.
“I have seen a minimum of 50% drop in business. The passing traffic you depend on, if they can’t stop, they are gone to Lahinch before you get to even talk to them.
“The only customers I have had today are the ones I have regularly. I am about down to one-quarter or one-fifth of the custom I would normally have,” he claimed.
Mr Unglert said this summer has been the worst since he set up the business in 1983.
“This is the worst yet. All the other stuff you can put up with but road closures in the summertime?” he concluded.
According to Aidan Murphy of O’Dwyer’s Pharmacy in the village, a lack of communication on the part of the council has compounded the difficulties experienced by businesses.
“No one knows who to go to. No one knows what is going on. To do what the council is doing and for no one to take responsibility, it is very frustrating, a big hindrance to business and it is putting a lot of anxiety unnecessarily on people.
“They have a job to do but where these things go wrong is when there is no communication,” Mr Murphy stated.
Another shop owner affected by the roadworks and closures claimed business is down by as much as a half on this time last year.
“Today is particularly bad. The road is closed so every car, bus and lorry has to go through Ennistymon, turning left at the garda station. There has been no consultation with us. The council didn’t come and ask us what would be a quiet day. These works should have been done back in February,” she said on Wednesday.

Delays

Acting senior engineer with the road section of Clare County Council, Eugene O’Shea, told The Clare Champion that the works had been due to take place in March but that “there were a number of health and safety issues that had to be ironed out”.
“Someone said it is ludicrous to be doing this now and I can’t disagree but we are where we are and the sooner we get on with it and get out of there and let people get on with their lives and businesses, the better,” he added.
Responding to claims that there had been little or no communication with local business people, Mr O’Shea said, “If there was no communication then we have to hold our hands up and take responsibility for that”.
Mr O’Shea acknowledged that the roadworks were scheduled to be finished by now but “when you start excavating you find things that need to be changed or that you didn’t even know were there. You have all sorts of issues that aren’t foreseen.”
He said local people had been notified that diversions would be in place in the area and pointed out that local access is still available, despite the diversions.
“The council doesn’t wish to put anyone out of business. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is peak time all over Ireland. In a perfect world, this would have been completed before June or after September.
“We are trying to schedule a lot of different works in our works calendar year.
“There are also resource issues with staff numbers, some people have retired and haven’t been replaced, so it is difficult to schedule things exactly when you want them to happen,” Mr O’Shea stated.

Timing

Councillor Martin Conway said that while he understood that health and safety issues are always going to come first, other factors have to be taken into account.
“While I appreciate health and safety has to be the number one priority, it is just one of a number of priorities and in this economic climate, the protection of business and sustainability of employment is vital. I am not prepared to defend the indefensible.
“I know for a fact that people are not stopping in Ennistymon because when they approach it, they are immediately hit with these roadworks. Then they come to Blake’s Corner and they see the madness there and they want to get out as quick as possible. I blame Clare County Council for the timing of the roadworks. When they weren’t ready to start them in March, they should have postponed them until September. Serious questions need to be asked,” the Ennistymon councillor concluded.
Councillor Conway and a number of local business people have also criticised the footpath being constructed, saying it is too high and is causing difficulties for people with buggies, wheelie bins and those with limited mobility.