Mayor John Moran faces traders' fury at 'terrifying' and 'frightening' street closures in Limerick
Cou ncillors bid to use emergency powers to end measures planned for Limerick
FURIOUS traders staged a city centre protest this Tuesday in an 11th-hour bid to stop Mayor John Moran’s plans to close a raft of streets to traffic.
One retailer, Sinead Roche – who is opening a new cafe in the city – described the plans for August as “terrifying" and “frightening”, with others outlining their fear that restricting traffic will fatally damage their trade.
Another, Shane Gleeson, who runs four Spar shops locally, added: “Limerick city is on its knees, you don’t need to crush us.”
Shoe shop owner Michael Gleeson says August is the busiest month for him, with the back-to-school rush, and has accused Mayor Moran of “an own goal”.
The demonstration comes after more than 150 people signed a petition urging the mayor to reconsider the closures to vehicles for the month of August.
From midnight on Saturday, Honan’s Quay, The Crescent, Lower Glentworth Street and Back Lane are due to become pedestrian-only until Monday, August 31.
But Mayor Moran has hit back, criticising “false claims” that he is closing the city.
He says these “risk causing real harm to the businesses those voices claim to represent. The city centre is open, and it's going to be worth the visit.”
Summer in the City for August is months in the planning, he said, and “is backed by residents, community groups and businesses”.
"My office engaged at length with Limerick Chamber, the recognised body for business here, which surveyed its members directly.
“Views were mixed—but, by and large, businesses were prepared to trust the mayor and council to deliver something positive.”
Despite this, councillors may yet stop the plans in their tracks by using emergency powers for the second time this year to block plans from the executive mayor.
Fianna Fail councillors Catherine Slattery, metropolitan district leader Joe Pond and Kieran O’Hanlon have put forward a resolution under section 140 of the Local Government Act.
If it gets support from members at a meeting next week, it will force the abandonment of the street closures – despite the fact by that stage, they will be in place for a number of days.
Already used this year to block development at Boro Park on the city’s southside, it’s a tool which allows councillors to formally instruct the council executive and mayor to stop a specific project.
Cllr Slattery believes she felt she had no other choice to invoke the act, saying: “It’s going to be a nightmare for the traders. There’s going to be loss of income, loss of earnings. It’s going to significantly disrupt trade in the city centre.”
Shane Gleeson has welcomed the councillor’s plans, saying: “I really hope they find a way to stop this. Democracy has to rule.
“The majority of people are against this. We know the majority of councillors are against this. All the retailers are against it. It makes no sense to proceed.”
He predicted that if the street closures run for the whole month, some retailers will close, saying: “They cannot afford the loss in cashflow”.