This article is from page 23 of the 2011-12-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
THE newly refurbished Moore Street should be given special designation by the Department of the Environment as a pilot project capable of kick-starting new life into the economy of the west Clare capital.
That’s according to members of Kilrush Town Council, who on Thursday backed a move to approach Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, seeking ‘special status’ for the street as the refurbishment works are finally completed ahead of this Saturday’s party to mark what has been hailed as “the rebirth of Moore Street”.
The refurbishment works were due to be completed on Friday last, but have been delayed by a week due to the scale of the work involved and the recent inclement weather.
“It’s all systems go,” Kilrush Town Clerk John Corry told last Thursday night’s monthly meeting of the local authority.
“It is a very significant job and they have made substantial progress. Kerbs are being installed at the moment and the contractor is on site this Monday commencing the tarmacadam works.
“There will be a lot of progress made within a couple of days and the contractor is envisaging completion by the 16th or 17th of December. A temporary order for the closing of the road from the 10th December through to the 23rd of September appeared in the paper. It won’t be required for that length of time,” Mr Corry added.
“We needed to get it done and there was never going to be a right time to do it. The contractors are out there morning, noon and night and they are giving it socks to have it ready,” said Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Ian Lynch.
The call for a special incentive scheme for new traders was proposed by Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF), who said “we have to go one step further now.
“It’s one thing to rejuvenate the street itself and get the road done, but there are still a lot of vacant premises on Moore Street. I do believe that this Council, in its wisdom, should make an application to the Minister for the Environment, so that we can use Moore Street as a pilot project and get it designated so as to new people into those vacant premises and bring life back to the street.
“What has been done has been tremendous but we need to go that little bit further. It would really put the icing on the cake – there has to be a concession, whether it’s rates or whatever for people who go in there.
“People who own the properties have to be prepared to offer pepper corn rents. It is a very exciting time for Moore Street,” added the former town mayor.