Some people have seen from the very outset that the changes that have been enforced on traders in Cork city centre would contribute to a fall off in customers visiting the city, a fall off in confidence in seeing the city as a necessary place to visit, a fall off in budding entrepreneurs considering setting up a business in the city and the inevitable closure of some businesses as a direct result. While everyone wants a modern and vibrant Cork city with a transportation plan that allows us be less reliance on cars as a means of transport, the method in achieving this with the current model for the City Centre Movement Strategy is not only flawed but unworkable. Some City Councillors like Tim Brosnan, Paudie Dineen and Ken O’ Flynn have said from the outset that the plan was unworkable. Cllr. Des Cahill disagreed with them, until last week and it took him to have to take up a job in the English Market in the city centre to see that the city centre trade is virtually non existent in the afternoons from 3pm each day and has been since the ‘Pana Ban 1 & 2’ came into effect. It is amazing that other prominent traders in the English Market and elsewhere don’t come out publicly and tell it like Cllr. Cahill has told it, because that is how it is. He has admitted that he was wrong and got his decision wrong. If Cllr. Cahill can do a u turn then so can other Councillors. The slight problem with city Councillors and this issue is, just like Cllr. Cahill found out, you have to be in the situation to actually know what the situation is. Too many of our city Councillors are not city business people and have no idea what trade in the city is like. They were offered the facility by many city business people who said they would open their books to them and show them first hand what afternoon trade was like. This didnt happen and you have to ask the question about whether certain city Councillors have any interest in the retailers of Cork city. Just for the record, it is also important to point out that city businesses contribute over €66m annually in commercial rates to Cork City Council. For city business people, they are now seriously realising that it is the survival of their businesses that they are fighting for and of course there are many factors that are relevant to why city centre trade is down overall. Customers trends have changed, online has a major effect, shopping centres with free parking in the suburbs are impacting the city centre. However, it appears to me that the retail sector in Cork city centre is being treated with contempt by a number of people and organisations and this is regrettable considering the amount of employment it is responsible for, and the financial contribution that it is making by way of the commercial rates it contributes to Cork City Council, not to mention the social benefit that it brings to the overall business, tourism and hospitality offering of Cork. I think the time has come for retailers to stand up and take the lead for themselves because it is clear that they are not being represented or respected and you can only be let down in life so many times before you fight back…
