Has the horse bolted on Kilrush bylaws?

AN organisation representing market traders, who pitch their stalls in Kilrush during horse fairs, has criticised the re-positioning of the stalls under bylaws introduced in September 2011.

 

Four horse fairs are held in Kilrush each year on March 25, the first Thursday in June, next Wednesday and on November 23.

Markets Alive Support Team (MAST) co-director Ciarán Casey has also claimed that trading fees in Kilrush have increased by 400%. However, this has been flatly denied by Kilrush town clerk, John Corry.

“The fee structure for casual trading was set following a review of the pricing structure in Kilrush and indeed in some other towns where casual trading takes place. I refute the fact that it represents a 400% increase as is claimed by MAST,” the town clerk retorted.

Kilrush Town Council representatives, including Mr Corry, met with Mr Casey and MAST member Jim Flynn on September 19 in Kilrush Town Hall to discuss traders’ concerns. These concerns included stalls now having to face the footpath in Frances Street, rather than the road.

“John Corry suggested that the positional changes happened on foot of a health and safety report and an approach from Kilrush Chamber of Commerce, who claimed that Kilrush Horse Fair was adversely affecting its members. This claim flies in the face of statistics from the US and the UK, which show that fairs and markets generally boost trade by around 30%,” Mr Casey said.

“Traders state that health and safety is still a concern as their new positions have effectively reduced access height to each stall by seven to nine inches, due to the depth of Kilrush kerbstones. Tall customers are banging their heads on the metal bars. Traders have suggested a compromise by having the stalls at right-angles to the kerb,” he added.

However, Mr Corry said he explained that Kilrush Council Town had adopted the trading bylaws following a lengthy public consultation process.

“During this process, we engaged with the Chamber of Commerce, gardaí, casual traders and other towns where casual trading took place,” he pointed out.

“It was also decided to ensure that stalls were facing onto the footpath in the interest of safety. This eliminates the need for pedestrians to walk along the road beside traffic and instead they can walk along the footpath, which allows the customer to easily and safely access the stalls and indeed the local businesses fronting onto the footpath. This benefits both the traders and the local businesses so customers of one could easily access the other,” Mr Corry maintained.

Mr Casey claims, however, that no official health and safety report was carried out and that traders had been repositioned at the request of Kilrush gardaí.

Mr Corry noted however, “This proposal, in the interest of health and safety, was supported by the gardaí, although not requested by the gardaí as indicated by MAST. As part of the process of public consultation, it was open to any casual trader to appeal against the proposed bylaws and no such appeal was made during the statutory process.

“I indicated at the meeting that the bylaws had become law and could only be amended by again going through a public consultation process to revise them. I suggested that if the representatives who had attended the meeting wished to forward a submission regarding the bylaws, it would be considered by Kilrush Town Council. The council has, as yet, received no such submission. I concluded the meeting on September 19 by indicating that Kilrush had a long tradition of casual trading and that Kilrush Town Council would like this tradition to continue in to the future,” the town clerk said.

Mr Casey indicated that MAST would make a submission to Kilrush Town Council on the matter.

“I’m going to put together an official submission outlining all the points and asking that some consideration be given to changing the position of the stalls and getting all of the affected traders to sign it,” the MAST co-director stated.