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Members of ‘Save Tralee’ at the meeting on Monday night were, from: Billy Nolan, Heather O’Sullivan, Der O’Sullivan and Dick Boyle. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
ALMOST 200 members of the public, traders and disability groups attended a ‘Save Tralee’ meeting in the Grand Hotel on Monday.
The meeting was in relation to plans being made for 66 car spaces to be removed from Tralee town centre as part of Kerry County Council proposal to make changes to The Mall and Denny Street.
Time is beginning to run out for those opposed to the plans as work is set to commence in two weeks time. The work is part of a €2.2 million ‘Smarter Travel Scheme’ grant from the goverment that must be drawn down by the end of the year.
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‘Save Tralee’ is a group comprised of traders and citizens who feel that changes will effect business, along with disabled shoppers concerned about parking in the town centre and they want the plans scrapped.
Other areas of concern are noise on Denny Street from the moving of the taxi rank there, which some think may upset hotel guests, the timescale of the works and provisions for sit down loading bays for delivery vehicles.
Chairing the meeting was Heather O’Sullivan of John Ross Jewellers, who have been in business in Castle Street for over 100 years.
A show of hands for two questions took place at the end of the two hour and a half long meeting. The overwhelming majority wanted to scrap the plans in their current form and only a handful were in favour of amending the proposals.
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Business owner in The Mall, Hugh Culloty, speaking at the ‘Save Tralee’ meeting in the Grand Hotel. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
In attendance were TDs, John Brassil, Michael Healy Rae and Martin Ferris. Kerry County Councillors who spoke were, Toiréasa Ferris, Pa Daly, Norma Foley, Tom McEllistrim, Jim Finucane and Mayor of Kerry Pat McCarthy.
Jim Finucane reached out to the ‘Save Tralee’ group saying “progress could be made on some of the issues” and proposed that a working group be set up to try and reach a compromise. He added that “we can’t say no €2.2 million” and “if we don’t improve we stagnate”.
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Toiréasa Ferris said that “legally they [the councillors] can’t stop it” and she will not support an emergency meeting. Norma Foley offered to arrange a meeting with CEO of Kerry County Council and a meeting with town manager.
Micheal Healy-Rae expressed the “if it’s not broke why fix it” attitude and was in favour of not drawing down the €2.2 million if the plan wasn’t right.
Cllr Pa Daly has subsequently called Michael Healy Rae’s comments “bizarre” and that “to hand back this investment to central government makes no sense on any grounds”.
A trader in the town for over 40 years, Hugh Culloty, said that traders did not sign off on the plans and there was a breakdown on who was representing who. He was also unhappy at being told the plans cannot be changed at this stage.
One speaker described the artists images of how the town centre will look after the work, which were released by Kerry County Council to local media two weeks ago, as “Spin”.
Mayor of Kerry, Pat McCarthy offered to broker between the two parties.
“Bin it and scrap it” was the message from Brian Hennebery of Hennebery Sports on Ashe Street. He also asked for the the proposal to be reviewed to find something everyone can agree with.
Former Tralee town councillor Cathal Foley of Sinn Fein was a councillor back in 2013 when plans were drawn up. He said he still stands over the proposal and “if we took on all submissions nothing would have been done”.
Martin Ferris felt “consultation process should have begun two years ago”. He also offered to mediate between councillors and traders on the issue.
A former member of Tralee Chamber of Commerce, Chris Shortt, proposed that Tralee take a lead and become the first town in Ireland to offer free parking, or even free one-hour parking to entice shoppers to the town centre which is competition with the free parking in Manor West.
Despite the traders concerns, the council are determined to make sure works go ahead. A meeting has been organised for today between members of the ‘Save Tralee’ group and CEO Moira Murrell where it is hoped some compromise can be met.
‘Save Tralee’ member Eddie Barrett and Martin Ferris TD. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
At the ‘Save Tralee’ meeting were, from left: John Barry, Bernice Hoffman, Claire Harty, Breda Barry, Caroline Simpson and Sarah Jane Hoffman. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
