Call for casual trading in Drumshanbo to be investigated

The behaviour of causal traders in Drumshanbo was called out by Cllr Enda McGloin at the recent Ballinamore Municipal District meeting.

Cllr McGloin called on the Planning Department to “consider legal action regarding the likely persistent breaches of the Casual Trading Act on the Mart Link Road car park, where a clothes retailer continues to trade a few days of the week either without a valid licence or trading bay or in contravention of both if they exist, in a public car park thereby reducing the available car park places available for the rate paying businesses in the town.

“Despite efforts by planning officials to challenge this trader to operate within the provisions of the Casual Trading legislation, they apparently ignore authority and persist in trading illegally,” he said.

The Drumshanbo businessman said he wanted to protect the rate payers of the town.

He outlined that 3-5 parking spaces are being taken up by the trader. “I have an issue with how they behave,” he commented.

A spokesperson for Leitrim County Council said there is an application for a trading licence going through the relevant process, but it was revealed that this was for the marked trading bays at Drumshanbo Mart.

Council engineer Darragh O'Boyle said as far as he understood the trading bays were at the mart wall on the water tower road.

Cllr McGloin said he would bring the issue to the relevant SPC and sought clarity from the Council on the exact location of the trading bays in Drumshanbo.

Cllr Gerry Dolan fully supported the motion.

Leitrim County Council also informed councillors that they do not have the resources to provide Drumshanbo with specific outdoor staff for the town but there will be staff to clean up the town after weekends and events.