Was this the plan to pedestrianise the Market Square? Might be with them on that, can't imagine the chaos that would have insued.
More retail is what's needed to keep people in town,but the planners won't allow anything to be built.
Sem to be making a start on the Floods site finally.
https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/enniscorthy-news/two-busy-enniscorthy-roads-to-close-to-allow-for-demolition-of-former-murphy-floods-hotel/a840424401.html
Great to hear that the Enniscorthy Town Plan was accepted by Wexford County Council today
Should be a roaring success, similar to the pedestrianisation of Rafter Street.
I'm always amused by people who blame the pedestrianisation of Rafter Street for the town's demise.
Google Maps puts it at just under 100 metres from the junction with Weafer Street to the junction with Church Street. Yet apparently, the entire town is ruined because you can no longer park directly outside any of the shops there, and might have to walk for two or three minutes instead.
Who blamed it?
Re. Demise, I wouldn't be of that opinion.
What would be your opinion regarding the outcome of that initiative in the context of pedestrianisation?
Perhaps not you then, but there have been plenty of people before who have made that complaint.
My own view? Well, purely in the context of pedestrianisation, I don't think anybody could argue that it hasn't been a success, in that they set out to pedestrianise it and that's exactly what they did.
But I don't think that's what you meant :)
So, a more serious answer - I think the street actually looks quite well, with the cobblestones and the trees, etc. It's just a pity that the town centre doesn't have more to actually attract people in the first place and to keep them there, but that's a whole other issue.
I agree with you, the street does look much better. In fact, I was in favour of the pedestrianisation initiative.
But the day they decided to un-pedestrianise the street was the day that project failed in my opinion. What we've been left with simply irritates the p1ss out of me.
There's no well defined footpath any more.
We have traffic driving up the centre of the street over the cobblestones.
Where you might have traditionally walked to avoid traffic, you now have to navigate your way around parked cars, resteraunt seating and store front wares, so at times you're back out towards the middle of the street contending with traffic. Note. I have no issues with the seating and store front wares.
The street could/should have been kept in pristine condition, but it hasn't.
Any notion of pedestrianisation was butchered on Rafter Street and that's what concerns me about plans for the Market Square. A bike shed load of money will be spent and a few wet days later they'll find a way to bastardise it.
As for how it will impact traffic flow, even if they have a plan to address it, I wouldn't have any confidence in the ability to implement it.
The businessman was reflecting on last Mondays Council meeting where he said he had two major insights. Number one, it was the chief planner stating that Enniscorthy, in a sense, had too much
traffic going on in the centre of it. Number two, he declared that the last thing that Enniscorthy needed was more car parking, because that was just going to attract more cars into the town.
Bit of an odd statement from the town planner. Would have thought with an increasing population and loads of new estates planned around the town more parking is exactly what we need. Like any small rural town it's also dependent on its hinterland if they can't get parking they'll drive elsewhere. Seems to be more concerned about the environmental impact of the car than the progress of the town.
That is why there is an investment in bus routes into Enniscorthy from areas outside the town and removing car parking spaces for bus parking is part of the plan. Taking out 10 car parking spots for a few buses means more people can get into the town.
I said it once and ill say it again. The lack of actaul weather resistant areas to shop will deatroy Wexford town and Enniscorthy.
nonobody wants to be dipping in and out shops on a main street in winter, we need a shopping complex juat like Gorey with easy access to the main street so the footfall is retained and improved.
https://www.southeastradio.ie/we-need-to-do-something-to-address-footfall-in-the-town/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR14GTjsNr6QDJ5iJ9f7oEYH2EScBKrWG9oCbzi0PSdIS2-J2Q63hnadlVw_aem_BxU-rWyHCp8ho5W4cw9E3w
At the moment, it feels like Enniscorthy has just been forgotten about since the bypass was put in. It's almost as if it's just been left there to rot away. Politicians don't seem too bothered about it either unless they are looking for your vote.
There was a notion initially that the Floods site would be a shopping centre with a walkway across to Dunnes. A few large retail units with chain stores in there would definitely have brought some shoppers in.
Instead we have a Library and apartments in the only remaining retail space left around the town. Walking around aimlessly and drinking coffee seems to be the objective. Want to buy something go elsewhere.
It needs a decent shop or two for a start! I appreciate that is easier with a decent shopping centre. Chicken or egg.
I was out in the town one night recently and couldn't believe how much it had deteriorated. The place was dead at 12am on a Saturday night. The taxi situation in the town is a complete joke and is completely ruining the town as a place to go for a few. Surely there is a viable business for a taxi service or is insurance and license costs just killing this too?
Taxi Drivers have two issues
(1) unsociable hours don't ask them for rides too early or too late you'll get a no thanks.
(2) Too many drunks not worth the hassle or trouble.
The kids and women's clothes shops both closed on Rafter St.
The flood site would have been ideal especially if the managed to work into dunnes and righr across, but there is other good locations that can be worked on. The cash and carry on the Riverside has a huge footprint if they ever moved the site right from eurogiant down to those apartments could be turned into something spectacular they could even incorporate flood defense into the works
Anyone know any butchers in or around the town or county that sell jars of rendered beef tallow?
Thanks!
Speaking of flood defence I can't see why barriers aren't possible along the Quay and behind The Island Rd. Wouldn't inconvenience any wildlife
From what i can remember people didn't like the look of them.
From a library with apartments to a f***ing 28 space carpark with some planters. You'd swear the planner in wexford cc are just trolling our town at this stage.
https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/enniscorthy-news/wexford-councillors-critical-of-disappointing-plan-for-murphy-floods/a188907146.html
Dunno how many apartments are going in,but presumably all of those spaces will be taken up by those.
Somebody wants to deny the existence of the motorcar in the hope they'll go away.
Carpack is temporary because of all the complaining about lack of car parking in Enniscorthy even though Dunnes is across the road.
Library and a dozen or so 2 bed apartments is the plan but same complainers dont seen to want a new modern library and housing in the town centre.
Oh that's good so but why not just progress with the plan?
I wonder what they will do with the old library, surely the fire station and garda station could use the space?
Wouldn't have put them there. Can't put any retail outside the town centre and nowhere to put anything in the town centre. What we have is all we're getting.
In the meantime half the place apparently are hightailing it to Wexford or Gorey every weekend.
I've been living here 6 years and haven't even stepped foot in most shops in the town. The ones I did are all niche or over priced and don't suit me.
New bollards are going in top and bottom of Rafter St apparently. It's like an obstacle course with traffic and parked cars and vans.
A Casino for the old Bank of Ireland.
