Trimgate Street pedestrianisation back on agenda

Plans for the pedestrianisation of Navan's Trimgate Street, on a pilot basis initially, are firmly back on the agenda following a local town council meeting last week. Both Cllr Joe Reilly and Cllr Francis Deane tabled motions on the issue in a bid to boost business on the street and most councillors were generally supportive of the move on a trial basis. However, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons expressed strong reservations about the proposal saying he was not convinced it was what traders wanted, and he called for more consultation on the matter. In his motion, Cllr Deane called for Trimgate Street be pedestrianised between 11am and 5pm on Saturdays during the months of July and August on a trial basis, while Cllr Reilly went a step further in his motion, calling for the council to immediately initiate the process of pedestrianising the street. Cllr Deane said that 11 businesses on Trimgate Street had closed in recent months and he had been informed by five other shop-owners of their intention to cease trading. He said he had taken on board the views of businesspeople in the area and proposed the introduction of a pilot pedestrian plan for Trimgate Street, initially on Saturdays between the hours of 11am and 5pm during the months of July and August. He also suggested offering free parking to employees and employers in the Pairc Tailteann car park during the trial period, a shop enhancement grant and allowing businesses have stalls outside their shops. Cllr Deane said he had been talking about pedestrianising Trimgate Street for 30 years. If they did not try it on a pilot basis, they would never know if it works. Cllr Reilly said that pedestrianisation of the street is in the town's development plan, which was adopted in 2009. He said businesses are failing on a weekly basis and that they needed to do something “big†to increase footfall. “It is a difficult proposition but I would like to see it for a year. We need to show leadership. We must take the views of the traders into consideration but the shoppers are also important,†said Cllr Reilly. He proposed that, after a year, if the move was accepted by traders and shoppers, they could look at designing the street for pedestrianisation. “Let's do it now. Let's not put it off for another six or seven months. The street is dying,†he said. Town clerk Shane Donnelly said there would be a statutory process they would have to go through if this move was to happen. He added that if it was on a temporary basis, they would be asking for the goodwill of the traders and that deliveries would also have to be taken into consideration. Cllr Peader Tóibín said: “We cannot be conservative about decisions. If we second guess ourselves, things remain the same. It is important to point out it would be a pilot plan and not a done deal. We have been talking about it for 15-20 years and it is a fantastic opportunity to have a traffic-free people space that would bring people into the town.†Cllr Fitzsimons said he could not believe what he was hearing about not consulting with retailers, saying it was “fascist stuffâ€. He went on: “You can't steamroll ahead with it. I can't believe what I am hearing. I am the only councillor here who is a retailer and I wasn't consulted. It is a huge decision just to lump on people suddenly.†He added that he would love to know what percentage of traders want the street pedestrianised and those that don't, saying he had never got an over-riding sense from talking to them. Cllr Fitzsimons said he was not in favour of the motion and that discussions would be needed before the councillors forced it on people whom he did not believe wanted it. Cllr Deane responded that he had been a retailer on the street for 24 years and believed the majority of traders were in favour of the proposal. He said he had been in touch with most of them but acknowleged he had not approached the publicans. Cllr Reilly said that to use the term “fascist†was over the top and told Cllr Fitzsimons that he did not object to the pedestrianisation when they were discussing the development plan. “This is not something I plucked out of the air. There are 40-60 retailers but there are 30,000 consumers who are also entitled to their say. We have to move and try to bring people with us. We might say after three months it is not working, but I think it would give the town a boost,†he said. Cllr Fitzsimons went on to withdraw his “fascist†comment. Cllr Jim Holloway said, personally, he would like to see the street pedestrianised but that there were a number of requirements to ensure it works and that there would have to be parking fairly closeby. He suggested that they needed research and then proceed on a trial basis. Mayor Cllr Phil Brennan commented that Trimgate Street was dead. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,†he said. Cllr Holloway responded by remarking it was an awful thing to say that the street was dead; there are a lot of businesses thriving, he insisted. “We should get the views of the traders. If it is a pilot project, there is no harm in giving it a go,†said Cllr Suzanne Jamal. Cllr Anton McCabe also said that consultation was important. Councillors are to revisit the matter.