'We can’t afford to lose more traders' - concern over works in Kilkenny City
The matter was raised at June’s sitting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District
As the St Kieran's Street and Market Square Urban Enhancement Scheme progresses, Cllr David FitzGerald has pleaded with Kilkenny County Council to be ‘practical’ in the scheduling of future works on the city centre street
The Fine Gael councillor voiced concern that the works may have an unintentional detrimental impact on businesses during the summer period, claiming, “we can’t afford to lose more traders.”
However, despite some reservations, Cllr FitzGerald noted it should be a ‘wonderful project’ upon completion.
When finished, the street is expected to feature a full street enhancement with new high-quality stone pavement finishes and an improved public realm, including seating, outdoor shelter in the form of canopies, hanging baskets, and areas for planting trees and shrubs.
Each phase of the construction takes between four and six weeks to complete, and the scheme is expected to be completed in late 2026. - FULL DETAILS HERE
“I’m very conscious at the moment that the city is in a construction phase,” Cllr FitzGerald told members at Friday’s sitting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District, addressing his concerns at the St Kieran’s Street programme.
“It should be a wonderful project, and I don’t want to take away from that, but the timing of the construction at the moment and some of the practical arrangements on the street are causing significant disruptions to business to the point where a number of businesses have contacted me and told me they have suffered and have lost money in spring-early summer this year,” he argued.
“Part of that is down to the works themselves, but also some of it is due to the project management. For example, at the junction to the Butterslip, the access to it is quite blind and a number of members of the public won’t go up to it because they think the street is actually closed. This has stopped the flow of people coming from Rose Inn Street into St Kieran Street, and it means you don’t have the footfall on the street that you would normally have,” he explained.
It’s understood that a new section of works will begin following the August Bank Holiday Weekend along the middle section of the street in front of many coffee shops and dining areas, while the Kilkenny Arts Festival is scheduled to begin on August 6th, attracting large numbers to the Marble City.
“The traders are more than concerned; they’re beside themselves in some cases,” Mr FitzGerald claimed.
“I would appeal to you to find another way to deliver that section of the project. You don’t trade evenly all year. There are highs and lows. That section of time in August, after Christmas, is probably they’re best part of the year,” he added, firmly stating, “we can’t afford to lose more traders.
“As a local authority, we can’t afford to say the streets are beautiful and the shops are empty.”
Cllr Andrew McGuinness (Fianna Fáil) remarked that compassion was required, remarking, “putting obstructions in front of them (retailers) makes no sense.”
In response, Senior Roads Engineer, Stan Cullen noted the situation is continuously being reviewed and both the county council and the contractors are engaging with local traders.