New Business Incentive Scheme for Town Centre – Cllr Callan
Scheme to be in place in January 2011
Our town centre is to have a serious boost with a new business incentive scheme to encourage the use of vacant commercial premises in Drogheda Town Centre in the New Year which will offer a rate scheme which will have a phased implementation of charges to attract new businesses to fill vacant units.
Speaking to the Drogheda Independent, Cllr Callan said that he was extremely grateful to the council officials for working on the initial policy document he put forward in January as Deputy Mayor.
“This is a hugely positive move, our town centre has suffered greatly and this scheme will generate new business and new employment, in the same week we open our new tourist office in the Tholsel, we are definitely making moves in the right direction to getting Drogheda moving again”.
Speaking at the Council meeting on Monday night, County Manager Conn Murray referred to the proposed scheme as put forward by Cllr. Callan early in 2010 and said that the council had worked on the proposal and was implementing it in both Drogheda and Dundalk.
The policy document states that the aims of the scheme are to,“ actively promote the development and enhancement of retail floor space in key areas of Drogheda Town Centre most visibly affected by the economic downturn and to enhance the vitality of the Town Centre and commercial well-being of the town and job creation and employment”.
According to Cllr Callan, “We have opened our Tholsel building to the people of the town and to tourists, we are making good sound decisions about our town and this decision to have a business incentive scheme will help fill empty shop units that have been vacant for two years or more. The business incentive scheme will be run for two years only so we will see new businesses starting up in our town centre.
I am aware of the fact that the Borough Council will be advertising details of the scheme in the coming weeks and updating the public on the scheme but some important points to note are that the premises must be vacant for two years and will then be eligible for a grant of 50% of rates in year one and 25% in year two. The scheme is conditional on a three year lease being signed by the new occupier, evidence of which must be shown to the Borough Council.
Cllr. Callan also stated that the Council officials had followed his draft scheme by making provisions to ensure the scheme is not abused.
The Council will allow premises to be subject to the scheme for a shop as defined in the planning legislation and as office space, medical or health professional clinics or as a crèche, day nursery or day centre. Uses which will not be allowed include takeaways, amusement arcades or premises with gaming machines, head shops, betting offices, nightclubs, or premises where unauthorised development has taken place or which are subject to enforcement proceedings.
I hope that this scheme can help people who are interested in setting up their business in our town centre, who will create jobs. I think it sends out the message that Drogheda town centre is open for business and attractive as a location in which to do business. I thank my Council colleagues for their support and the officials of Louth County Council and Drogheda Borough Council for their work in the area.
MAYOR KEVIN CALLAN Member of Drogheda Borough Council Contact 087 777 6648 kevinrcallanbl@hotmail.com
Monday, January 17, 2011
Rathmullen Road Junction examination welcomed- Cllr. Kevin Callan
Rathmullen Road Junction examination welcomed- Cllr. Kevin Callan
Fine Gael Councillor Kevin Callan has said that the actions being taken by the Borough Council in the coming weeks in relation to the Rathmullen Road junction are to be welcomed. The Councillor placed the matter on the agenda of the meeting of the Borough Council (Monday 1st November) calling for the council to carry out a traffic management survey and look at the issue of safety at the junction.
In recent weeks I have received calls from residents of the Rathmullen Road who have complained about the long queues of traffic at the junction in the mornings where there is a very serious issue with traffic volumes and the junction is not currently fit for purpose for those living on the Rathmullen Road and who are trying to access the town, get to work and bring children to school.
One resident who contacted Cllr. Callan said that the situation was not acceptable. “We live in Riverbank, we are always seriously delayed by the junction, it is impossible to get out onto the main road or to the Bridge of Peace in the mornings. The junction is impossible, with traffic having to squeeze into a small area in the middle of the road and having to watch traffic coming in all directions”.
Cllr. Callan has also raised the issue of the current state of fencing along the footpaths and in particular beside the Ballsgrove Gate.
“Anybody using this junction will be aware of the very serious issue of people and young people in particular climbing under fencing adjacent to the Gate and accessing the road on a slope at the junction, there is a very serious risk of an accident due to this activity. I have received assurances from the Council that the fencing will be examined with a view to securing the area.
In relation to the junction itself the Council have informed me that they will examine and assess its current capacity. There is a possibility of improving the junction should the council deem it to fall below an acceptable standard.
Notice of Question
Will this Council carry out a traffic management survey at the junction at the bottom of the Rathmullen Road beside the Ballsgrove Gate. Will the Council consider improving the fencing along the footpath beside the Ballsgrove Gate in the interest of public safety as pedestrians, on occasion access the road through the existing fencing. Will the Council also consider the junction layout and the possibility of introducing a traffic light scheme similar to that recently introduced at the junction of Georges Street and Patrick Street. Will the Council consider the difficulties encountered by residents of the Rathmullen Road area when carrying out such a survey as residents continually have difficulty in exiting the Rathmullen Road at the above mentioned junction.
Council Reply
The Council will examine this junction and assess its current capacity. The possibility of improving the junction will be examined should the capacity of the junction to cater for existing traffic fall below an acceptable standard.
The fencing along the footpath will also be examined with a view to securing the area.
Fine Gael Councillor Kevin Callan has said that the actions being taken by the Borough Council in the coming weeks in relation to the Rathmullen Road junction are to be welcomed. The Councillor placed the matter on the agenda of the meeting of the Borough Council (Monday 1st November) calling for the council to carry out a traffic management survey and look at the issue of safety at the junction.
In recent weeks I have received calls from residents of the Rathmullen Road who have complained about the long queues of traffic at the junction in the mornings where there is a very serious issue with traffic volumes and the junction is not currently fit for purpose for those living on the Rathmullen Road and who are trying to access the town, get to work and bring children to school.
One resident who contacted Cllr. Callan said that the situation was not acceptable. “We live in Riverbank, we are always seriously delayed by the junction, it is impossible to get out onto the main road or to the Bridge of Peace in the mornings. The junction is impossible, with traffic having to squeeze into a small area in the middle of the road and having to watch traffic coming in all directions”.
Cllr. Callan has also raised the issue of the current state of fencing along the footpaths and in particular beside the Ballsgrove Gate.
“Anybody using this junction will be aware of the very serious issue of people and young people in particular climbing under fencing adjacent to the Gate and accessing the road on a slope at the junction, there is a very serious risk of an accident due to this activity. I have received assurances from the Council that the fencing will be examined with a view to securing the area.
In relation to the junction itself the Council have informed me that they will examine and assess its current capacity. There is a possibility of improving the junction should the council deem it to fall below an acceptable standard.
Notice of Question
Will this Council carry out a traffic management survey at the junction at the bottom of the Rathmullen Road beside the Ballsgrove Gate. Will the Council consider improving the fencing along the footpath beside the Ballsgrove Gate in the interest of public safety as pedestrians, on occasion access the road through the existing fencing. Will the Council also consider the junction layout and the possibility of introducing a traffic light scheme similar to that recently introduced at the junction of Georges Street and Patrick Street. Will the Council consider the difficulties encountered by residents of the Rathmullen Road area when carrying out such a survey as residents continually have difficulty in exiting the Rathmullen Road at the above mentioned junction.
Council Reply
The Council will examine this junction and assess its current capacity. The possibility of improving the junction will be examined should the capacity of the junction to cater for existing traffic fall below an acceptable standard.
The fencing along the footpath will also be examined with a view to securing the area.
New Tourist Signs Welcomed- Cllr. Kevin Callan
New Tourist Signs Welcomed- Cllr. Kevin Callan
Drogheda Fine Gael Councillor, Kevin Callan has said that the introduction of new street signs ahead of the summer tourist season are to be welcomed and will be a huge help to Droghedas tourist industry.
“These signs are fantastic and are in perfect keeping with the towns landscape and historical character. The recent opening of the towns tourist office at the Tholsel and these signs will greatly help tourists navigate their way around the town centre to historical locations such as Laurences Gate, Highlanes Gallery, Mayoralty House and many others which have also been given plaques showing the name of the building and its date of construction similar to those used by the national trust in the United Kingdom”.
Speaking to LMFM Cllr. Callan said that the Council was making great progress in regard to tourism for the summer season with the local authority working to have the Tholsel made the first stop on the Boyne Valley Trail in conjunction with Failte Ireland.
This summer is going to be hugely important to Drogheda, we need to make sure we are ready for tourists who come to town, we need to make sure everything is done that will keep them in town for as long as possible and these signs are a further step in this effort.
Cllr. Callan also said that the inclusion in the budget of funds to complete the Tholsel and the possibility of tourist coach parking in West Street beside the Tholsel would also be issues he would be pursuing in 2011.
Drogheda Fine Gael Councillor, Kevin Callan has said that the introduction of new street signs ahead of the summer tourist season are to be welcomed and will be a huge help to Droghedas tourist industry.
“These signs are fantastic and are in perfect keeping with the towns landscape and historical character. The recent opening of the towns tourist office at the Tholsel and these signs will greatly help tourists navigate their way around the town centre to historical locations such as Laurences Gate, Highlanes Gallery, Mayoralty House and many others which have also been given plaques showing the name of the building and its date of construction similar to those used by the national trust in the United Kingdom”.
Speaking to LMFM Cllr. Callan said that the Council was making great progress in regard to tourism for the summer season with the local authority working to have the Tholsel made the first stop on the Boyne Valley Trail in conjunction with Failte Ireland.
This summer is going to be hugely important to Drogheda, we need to make sure we are ready for tourists who come to town, we need to make sure everything is done that will keep them in town for as long as possible and these signs are a further step in this effort.
Cllr. Callan also said that the inclusion in the budget of funds to complete the Tholsel and the possibility of tourist coach parking in West Street beside the Tholsel would also be issues he would be pursuing in 2011.
Cllr. Kevin Callan welcomes agreement on Traffic Task Force for Town
Cllr. Kevin Callan welcomes agreement on Traffic Task Force for Town
Cllr. Kevin Callan told the Michael Reade Show on LMFM that he is very pleased with the support his proposal has received to see a traffic management group and public forum to deal with traffic issues such as congestion and estate parking has received at the monthly Borough Council meeting.
“I have brought this issue forward following the results of a GPS study which shows Drogheda to be the most congested town in Ireland based on the findings that traffic is travelling at less than 70% of the posted speed limit”.
Cllr Callan stated that the results of the survey were quite clear, we have a situation where Drogheda is the most congested town in Ireland with traffic travelling at under 70% of the posted speed limits.
“This is an issue that is letting the town down, all of the main routes including the Donore Road, Marsh Road, Dublin Road, Rathmullen Road, North Road, Termonfeckin Road are suffering from traffic congestion as is the town centre. We need to provide a task force made up of local groups, the Gardai, the roads and engineering sections of Drogheda Borough Council and a form of public consultation that allows people to have a say and an avenue to express their concerns around the area of traffic but also in the areas of parking as many residential areas are now being affected by pay parking in the town centre. Residential areas such as Anneville Crescent, Scarlet Crescent and Georgian Close are experiencing people parking in their estates and walking to work, we need to come up with solutions.
Cllr. Callan also referred to the Drogheda Transportation Study 2005 which set about addressing the many different transport issues.
“This document is excellent and was compiled following a detailed consultation process with the people of the town, this consultation is needed again”
Text of section of report referred to by Cllr. Callan at meeting;
“the public consultation took place over five days at Drogheda Town Centre from Nov 15th -19th 2004 between 9am and 6pm. Representatives of Drogheda Borough Council were in attendance at the display to assist the public in their consideration of the key issues of the study and to help in completing the questionnaire.
The format of the public display incorporated theme boards that identified specific issues in relation to traffic flow, public transport, parking and pedestrian and cyclist facilities in the town. Attendees were invited to view the boards accompanied by facilitators from Drogheda Borough Council and were then asked to complete a questionnaire in relation to the issues raised. In a significant number of cases the questionnaires were taken away by the public and returned to the Borough Council offices.
The public display attracted a high level of participation from the public and it was successful in terms of raising awareness of the study and identifying issues in relation to the future growth of Drogheda”.
From the study document it is clear to see that people in Drogheda are interested in the issue of traffic management, we need to continually consult with people from residential areas and from the business community to make sure we deal with the issues which are causing difficulties. We have a tourist stategy in place and we need to deal with traffic congestion ahead of the summer to ensure we don’t lose potential visitors to the town.
Notice of Motion
Will this Council consider the formation of a Traffic Management Task Force to deal with the serious issue of traffic congestion in Drogheda.
Will this Council also recognise the results of the recent Tom Tom Satellite Navigation group survey which shows Drogheda to be Irelands most congested town and the sixth worst traffic congested location in Ireland. The results of the research was based on real travel times database, compiled over years of researching and tracking road speeds with the help of millions of satellite navigation users worldwide. Travel information is sent anonymously to the above mentioned organisation every day when its users connect their device to the groups system. The result is realistic travel time information for every five minutes, every day of the week.
In this survey cities and towns are ranked according to how fast cars can travel on the street network. A city’s traffic is defined as congested if drivers can travel at only 70% or less of the posted speed limit, meaning that an hour-long commute would include 20 minutes or more of significant delays.
The percentages refer to the percentage of main roads (4 highest road classes) that experienced congestion as defined above during a day.
The full list of the most congested Irish cities and towns is:
NAME Percentage of congested roads
Galway 37.1%
Dublin 28.6%
Limerick 28.3%
Cork 27.5%
Waterford 19.7%
Drogheda 16.6%
Navan 8.2%
Castlebar 4.8%
Killarney 3.6%
Kildare 1.4%
Donegal 0.4%
Ennis 0.02%
From these figures, will Drogheda Borough Council form a task force comprising the relevant groups and organisations to attempt to improve the issue of traffic congestion.
Cllr. Kevin Callan told the Michael Reade Show on LMFM that he is very pleased with the support his proposal has received to see a traffic management group and public forum to deal with traffic issues such as congestion and estate parking has received at the monthly Borough Council meeting.
“I have brought this issue forward following the results of a GPS study which shows Drogheda to be the most congested town in Ireland based on the findings that traffic is travelling at less than 70% of the posted speed limit”.
Cllr Callan stated that the results of the survey were quite clear, we have a situation where Drogheda is the most congested town in Ireland with traffic travelling at under 70% of the posted speed limits.
“This is an issue that is letting the town down, all of the main routes including the Donore Road, Marsh Road, Dublin Road, Rathmullen Road, North Road, Termonfeckin Road are suffering from traffic congestion as is the town centre. We need to provide a task force made up of local groups, the Gardai, the roads and engineering sections of Drogheda Borough Council and a form of public consultation that allows people to have a say and an avenue to express their concerns around the area of traffic but also in the areas of parking as many residential areas are now being affected by pay parking in the town centre. Residential areas such as Anneville Crescent, Scarlet Crescent and Georgian Close are experiencing people parking in their estates and walking to work, we need to come up with solutions.
Cllr. Callan also referred to the Drogheda Transportation Study 2005 which set about addressing the many different transport issues.
“This document is excellent and was compiled following a detailed consultation process with the people of the town, this consultation is needed again”
Text of section of report referred to by Cllr. Callan at meeting;
“the public consultation took place over five days at Drogheda Town Centre from Nov 15th -19th 2004 between 9am and 6pm. Representatives of Drogheda Borough Council were in attendance at the display to assist the public in their consideration of the key issues of the study and to help in completing the questionnaire.
The format of the public display incorporated theme boards that identified specific issues in relation to traffic flow, public transport, parking and pedestrian and cyclist facilities in the town. Attendees were invited to view the boards accompanied by facilitators from Drogheda Borough Council and were then asked to complete a questionnaire in relation to the issues raised. In a significant number of cases the questionnaires were taken away by the public and returned to the Borough Council offices.
The public display attracted a high level of participation from the public and it was successful in terms of raising awareness of the study and identifying issues in relation to the future growth of Drogheda”.
From the study document it is clear to see that people in Drogheda are interested in the issue of traffic management, we need to continually consult with people from residential areas and from the business community to make sure we deal with the issues which are causing difficulties. We have a tourist stategy in place and we need to deal with traffic congestion ahead of the summer to ensure we don’t lose potential visitors to the town.
Notice of Motion
Will this Council consider the formation of a Traffic Management Task Force to deal with the serious issue of traffic congestion in Drogheda.
Will this Council also recognise the results of the recent Tom Tom Satellite Navigation group survey which shows Drogheda to be Irelands most congested town and the sixth worst traffic congested location in Ireland. The results of the research was based on real travel times database, compiled over years of researching and tracking road speeds with the help of millions of satellite navigation users worldwide. Travel information is sent anonymously to the above mentioned organisation every day when its users connect their device to the groups system. The result is realistic travel time information for every five minutes, every day of the week.
In this survey cities and towns are ranked according to how fast cars can travel on the street network. A city’s traffic is defined as congested if drivers can travel at only 70% or less of the posted speed limit, meaning that an hour-long commute would include 20 minutes or more of significant delays.
The percentages refer to the percentage of main roads (4 highest road classes) that experienced congestion as defined above during a day.
The full list of the most congested Irish cities and towns is:
NAME Percentage of congested roads
Galway 37.1%
Dublin 28.6%
Limerick 28.3%
Cork 27.5%
Waterford 19.7%
Drogheda 16.6%
Navan 8.2%
Castlebar 4.8%
Killarney 3.6%
Kildare 1.4%
Donegal 0.4%
Ennis 0.02%
From these figures, will Drogheda Borough Council form a task force comprising the relevant groups and organisations to attempt to improve the issue of traffic congestion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)