Kilkee stall-holders asked to tidy up

KILKEE town councillors asked that the local traffic warden check the town square before stall-holders leave on Sunday evenings to ensure the area is clean on their departure.
The matter was raised at last week’s town council meeting by Councillor Mary Owens, who said the onus should not be on Clare County Council staff, who work in Kilkee, to clean up the rubbish on Monday mornings.
“The stall-holders leave an awful lot of rubbish there on Sunday evenings,” Councillor Owens claimed.
However, Councillor Lily Marrinan-Sullivan said the majority of traders who pitch for the weekend in Kilkee Town Square don’t leave an unsightly mess.
“I think it’s fair to say, it’s not most of the traders,” she said.
Kilkee town clerk John Corry told the meeting that responsibility rested with the traders to keep their area clean.
“The onus is on the trader to comply with their licence,” he said.
“They’re supposed to display their licence, which they’re not doing,” Councillor Paddy Collins stated.
In July 2009, Clare County Council said bays set out in the Kilkee casual trading map had been legally formulated and agreed following a High Court action in 1989. The case established the traders’ right to operate from the town square.
This action was taken by casual traders, who mostly operate in Kilkee at weekends, when Clare County Council sought to move them to the car park on the Well Road in Kilkee.
Clare County Council’s Casual Trading Bylaws were subsequently agreed at Ennis District Court on November 27, 2008.
Meanwhile, the meeting heard that 20 incidents of dumping near the bottle banks in the East End car park in Kilkee had been noted by the council and that eight fines had already been issued. The remaining people detected dumping rubbish near the bottle banks are to be contacted by letter.
In October 2010, Kilkee Town Council decided to move the bottle banks, which were located in the square to the East End car park. The decision was made following representations from Councillor Claire Haugh.
Describing the bottle banks as “very unsightly”, Councillor Haugh added she had “a bee in my bonnet about those bottle banks”.
Councillor Haugh suggested a screen be erected around the bottle banks in the town square. However, this suggestion was rejected by town engineer Derek Troy at that 2010 meeting.
“The construction of a screen around the bottle banks would not be appropriate at this location as it would lead to increased dumping and misuse of the bottle banks,” Mr Troy said.
A suggestion that the bottle banks be moved to the East End car park was accepted on a “trial basis” by the town engineer.
Councillor Paddy Collins suggested the bank be located near the wall at the car park and that it be “tasteful”.