Retailers" plea: Don"t ruin our Christmas again

Dear Sir - Retailers in the traditional town centre streets of Navan welcome with relief the completion of the civic space. Its future use is crucial to the survival of many businesses and, having endured the loss of business due to the overrun of a project which we were assured had a contract provision of completion of 30th November of last year and that parking would be substantially available by 1st November, retailers now look forward to the relief of our customers of albeit reduced parking and access in the most important parking region of the town as a whole. Retailers have paid the high price of these delays in lost business, particularly at Christmas, and will continue as ratepayers to do so as the full cost unravels - the cost of the land has not been determined and other matters with cost implications are under legal challenge, aside from the loss of parking revenue while under construction. The sensible people of Navan - our customers - were quick to realise that the planners got it wrong in only marking out spaces at the periphery when there is clearly adequate space for up to 40 cars in the central area. For goodness sake, why can"t our officials face reality and mark it properly as, for example, in the space at SuperValu in Kells, instead of inserting ugly plastic barriers in what is meant to be an icon of aesthetic space use. There is a suggestion from council members that this area should attract 'quality retailers'. Will these be in competition with the many quality retailers already trading, many for generations and paying rates on Navan"s main streets? Is the area to be closed off at times for suitable events - a revival of the vision of 'comely maidens dancing at the cross roads' - and where will those attending park? Christmas 2007 for many traders is best forgotten and, like the Celtic Tiger, is gone. Traders - all traders - must now plan for the difficult conditions facing everyone in 2008 with the loss of confidence, unemployment and uncertainty. We must ensure that all local retailers get the maximum of whatever spending Christmas will bring and make it as attractive and accessible for our local custom to shop locally. For this, it is crucial that the traffic chaos associated with roadworks on roads such as Watergate Street must be avoided, particularly in November/December. Shopping for the season is now more evenly spread between these months. We ask that the proposed work on Watergate Street be at least postponed to give the retail sector, and our customers, a chance to offer what we as retailers know is as good as is available anywhere else and allow our customers, who have been very loyal, the chance to shop locally. We call on all Navan council members and officials to support this plea in the certainty that funds released will find a good use in projects of more urgent social needs in these days of cutbacks. Yours, Brendan O"Dea Frances Deane On behalf of Navan Retailers" Association.