Pedestrianisation damaging Ennis business

THE trial pedestrianisation of Ennis Town Centre has had a seriously damaging effect on some businesses, it has been claimed, with some traders on O’Connell Street and Abbey Street complaining that their trade has dipped by up to 40% on Saturdays when the streets are closed to vehicles.

It has also been suggested that consultation on the issue needs to go beyond Ennis Chamber members. “The chamber doesn’t represent the vast majority of people trading in Ennis, that is a fact,” Councillor Tommy Brennan cautioned.
At the June meeting of the town council, Mayor Frankie Neylon said that he has received complaints.
“I met with a few people and they weren’t at all happy. They told me they had lost a lot of business on the weekends and one of them was the weekend of the Fleadh Nua. They found their takings were down 30% to 40%.”
He also said that people have complained to him that there was no consultation with them about the pedestrianisation.
Councillor Neylon said the council needs to ensure that people who are not members of Ennis Chamber of Commerce have their concerns taken on board and he acknowledged that some visitors to Ennis have been very pleased with the pedestrianisation.
Councillor Johnny Flynn said it might be worthwhile for traders on particular streets to come together to make their views known, while town clerk Eddie Power said there had been meetings at which people trading on Abbey Street and O’Connell Street were represented. He also claimed that there is a need to give the public some time to become familiar with pedestrianisation. “There is a need to give a decent period of time for people to get accustomed to it,” he said.
Mr Power said there are definite advantages to keeping the town centre free of vehicles.
“It’s a quieter environment, there is less pollution and less traffic congestion. The whole experience has to be promoted.”
Town manager, Ger Dollard said that as yet the two streets have only been closed on two Saturdays and that there are review mechanisms in place.
Councillor Neylon said that in the coming months the issue will need to be reviewed and that if jobs are at stake, the initiative should be stopped.
Councillor Tommy Brennan said consultation needs to go beyond chamber members.
Councillor Peter Considine said it would be unfortunate if the impression was given there is a serious dispute between the town council and the chamber. He said that he understood there had been an extensive consultation process.
Councillor Considine also said that the amount of time the streets are currently being pedestrianised isn’t really adequate. “A half a day one day a week is not giving it a fair trial,” he claimed.
Councillor Mary Howard said that she has spoken to some traders about it and found some were of the view that trade fell significantly at times of pedestrianisation. “I don’t know what it is with Irish people but it seems that the car is king,” she said.
The need for a timely review was referred to by Councillor Johnny Flynn. “There is a six-week review period and that’s why I agreed to it.”
He said that the picture emerging seems to indicate that customers like pedestrianisation but businesses may be unable to survive it.