Sligo - News and Views

Gillie

magnumlady wrote: »

I'm typing this from a cell !:D Better go back on topic now.
Has anyone seen the new level of shops in the Quayside?

No meant to get in on Saturday but didn't get time!
Want to see this "Mansworld" shop!

magnumlady

Gillie wrote: »

No meant to get in on Saturday but didn't get time!
Want to see this "Mansworld" shop!

I went in there today, the cafe isn't open yet.
I really like Mansworld (and I'm a gal!) They've got some great little gadget type things: usb hoover, flying alarm clock, underwater mp3 player and Bose stuff too.

Mint Sauce

new level, where bouts

magnumlady

Its up near the toilets, above the hairdressers. It'll be nice when its finished, bit of a battle getting in the stores with workmen trying to fix them.

Mint Sauce

magnumlady wrote: »

Its up near the toilets, above the hairdressers. It'll be nice when its finished, bit of a battle getting in the stores with workmen trying to fix them.

not onr of those levels where you go down the escalter, then up the travelator, then some where else is it

that place i horribly laid out

magnumlady

Yep thats it! It is terribly laid out.

Gillie

Don't know how these last few posts ended up in this thread!

Very poor layout.
Don't know what they were thinking there!

muffler

Gillie wrote: »

Don't know how these last few posts ended up in this thread!

Nor do I.

But Im watching

Mint Sauce

sorry, thought i was in the shopping thread when i seen the posts on the quayside

sligobhoy67

Gillie wrote: »

Yeah but it's generally not great and full of secondary school students.

Used to be the main venue for the summerhill brawls!:eek:

Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! SKIRT, heres Frosty!!!

Gillie

sligobhoy67 wrote: »

Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! Oi oi oiy oi!! SKIRT, heres Frosty!!!

You in the Blue Jumper!!;)

Now back to the news:

Moving airport to new site ‘is pie in the sky’
By John Bromley

THE possibility of relocating Sligo Airport from Strandhill to a new site is “pie in the sky”, according to the chairman of the airport board.

Councillor Albert Higgins dismissed suggestions that a new airport could be developed on a greenfield site, possibly around Collooney.


“There would a huge cost involved in that, probably of the order of €50 million to €100 million,” he said.


“We had enough trouble getting €8 million to put in the runway safety ends we need. Can you imagine a minister giving Sligo €100 million for a new airport, with Knock up the road?”


Cllr Higgins was commenting on a proposal submitted for yesterday (Monday’s) meeting of Sligo County Council calling on the board of Sligo Airport “to engage consultants to examine the possibility and cost of locating Sligo Airport on a new greenfield site.”


The motion pointed out that this was necessary because of the strategic importance of maintaining a commercial airport in county Sligo, which is capable of handling airliner and executive aircraft, and “recognising the possibility that planning permission may be refused for an extension of the existing runway which would lead to the closure of the airport at Strandhill.”


The motion was in the names of councillors Declan Bree, Deirdre Healy McGowan, Sean MacManus, Jim McGarry, Tony McLoughlin and Imelda Henry, leaving Cllr Higgins as the only councillor from the Strandhill electoral area not to have signed it.


The motion came about following a meeting between Dorrin and Cummeen Strand Conservation Group, and all county councillors representing the Sligo/Strandhill area.


This group is opposing an application by the airport to extend the runway out on a 259 metres platform onto Dorrin Strand on the eastern side. This is to provide for runway end safety areas at each end of the runway in order to comply with safety standards required by the Irish Aviation Authority.


John MacDermott, chairperson of the conservation group, said that at its meeting with councillors it emerged that the airport board had not examined the possibility of locating the airport to a new greenfield site.


“In the long-term best interest of the airport and infrastructural development in the region this seemed to be a serious omission.”


He said that the airport board had said that there was no alternative but to close the airport if its planning application for a runway extension was unsuccessful.


“Our view, however, is that not all of the options have been exam-ined.”




Personally if there was a chance that the Airport to be expanded this would be a good idea but not gonna happen with Knock just 35 mins up the road!

I would rather see flights start from Strandhill to Cork or Limerick.
We in the North West are severly cut off from the south of the country when it comes to travel.

Thoughts?

Gillie

Further Traffic flow changes in Sligo:

From the Sligo Champion:

Another major change to the traffic flow system in Sligo is on the cards for motorists with the introduction of another one way system while there is also a proposal to move the existing taxi rank from Quay Street.

by Paul Deering

The Sligo Champion has learned that the changes are expected to be introduced early in the New Year following discussions that are expected to take place in the coming weeks with traders and taxi drivers.

The new one way system will affect Wine Street with traffic being allowed travel towards the city centre only.

Motorists wishing to exit from the city’s busiest car park at Wine Street will in future have to leave via John Street or through Dunnes Stores car park on to Adelaide Street or turn right and drive towards Hyde Bridge.

And, in another major change, it has been proposed that the taxi rank be moved from Quay Street to Wine Street.

However, it is believed that as of yet, it hasn’t been determined which end of Wine Street will be designated the head of the rank.

Sligo Borough Council has confirmed that initial contact with traders and taxi drivers has taken place with their views being canvassed on the issue.

The Council expect that the new one way system will be operational early in the New Year.

Executive Engineer with the Council, Michael Carty confirmed to The Sligo Champion that the new proposals were in the pipeline.

“The Borough Council is currently in negotiations with the various stakeholders with a view to proceeding with the introduction of a one way traffic system on Wine Street,” he said.

Mr. Carty said that the council was awaiting feedback on the issue in the coming days.

If everything went to plan he expected the change to be ready for implementation early in 2008.

Mr. Carty said that as part of the new one way change it was also being proposed to move the taxi rank from Quay Street on to Wine Street.

“The relocation of the rank is being considered and there are ongoing negotiations in this regard,” he said.

If the move goes ahead it is expected the rank will run the entire length of Wine Street.

Meanwhile, Mr. Carty has also confirmed that the long awaited enhancement of O’Connell Street is due to commence early in the New Year.

He said the initial stages of the planning process in respect of the project would begin later this year with a view to “an early start in 2008.”



Hmmm. Sounds interesting! What do ye think?

Wine Street Car park is a joke at the mo. Will this worsen it?

il gatto

Surely the head of the rank would have to be the Quay Street end, as that would be the direction of traffic flow. Or are they planning some devilishly complicated scheme to further infuriate motorists? I can imagine the planning meeting, " All traffic goes one way, except taxis. Therefore nobody can guess which way the one way is. I expect widespread chaos and road rage. What do you think, Mr. Manager?". "I love it. We'll be the envy of every inept town council this side of Ballymagash."

As for the airport. that won't happen. They've ploughed millions into the existing one, and putting it 15 minutes closer to Knock would be totally anti-productive. Just another kite being put up by councillors and planners with no real work to do (or at least work they want to do). Like the racecourse going to Strandhill, opening the western rail corridor and building a bloody great road through the middle of town...wait, they did that already, didn't they:rolleyes:

Gillie

In fairness it's lobby groups who got the Airport debate put on the table.
There is a shellfish company that shares the airport site and they feel they'll be affected by measures to make the runway safe. Therefore they want the airport moved.

In relation to the traffic flow...
I would imagine that the taxi rank will start at tohers chemist and go up towards Wine Street car park.
Thing is that Wine street is already quite congested during the day so this will add to the problems.

Don't know why Quay street is no longer viable?

daveboy01

Gillie wrote: »

Don't know why Quay street is no longer viable?

I think I saw in the weekender that it's going to be pedestrianised:rolleyes:

Gillie

What's the benifit of doing that?

Gillie

Gillie wrote: »

There have been major objections to this plan by the Rathedmond Residents association who have raised concerns over Child Safety during and after the construction. Fair point I guess but on the other hand the docks are in awful shape and need regeneration now.

Thoughts?

This has got the green light!
Full story in this weeks champion

Gillie

There is pressure mounting on Sligo Borough Council to re-open one lane of O'Connell street from Monday mornings til friday evenings.

There's been no decision either way yet.

It took one counciller 75 minutes to drive from Ballytivnan to his home on Oakfield Rd.

What do ya'll think?

AlmightyCushion

Gillie wrote: »

It took one counciller 75 minutes to drive from Ballytivnan to his home on Oakfield Rd.

Did he have two broken legs and decide to walk home? I live in Oakfield and that would be the only way it would take 75 minutes to get there from Ballytivnan.

Gillie

Do you drive?
If so I suggest taking that route in the car on a friday!

I live in Oakfield too and i've done it. It is more than possible to take that long my friend!

AlmightyCushion

Gillie wrote: »

Do you drive?
If so I suggest taking that route in the car on a friday!

I live in Oakfield too and i've done it. It is more than possible to take that long my friend!

No I don't drive (I'll learn some day ) but most mornings and some evenings my dad gives me a lift to college and it has never taken anywhere near as long as 75 minutes. I've never goten a lift off him on a Friday though (no college on Fridays ).

dingding

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

What ever about anything else that car park is greatly needed. Those 450 spaces will make a big difference.

What about at night, the quayside closes most nights by nine. When wine street is built over, there will be no parking in the town centre for use at night that is not under the control of a third party. Where will you park if you are going to the cinema if these car parks are not opened 24 hour?

Good model of the development in the lobby / reception area of the town hall.

Gillie

dingding wrote: »

What about at night, the quayside closes most nights by nine. When wine street is built over, there will be no parking in the town centre for use at night that is not under the control of a third party. Where will you park if you are going to the cinema if these car parks are not opened 24 hour?

Good model of the development in the lobby / reception area of the town hall.

That's a good point actually!

sligobhoy67

Gillie wrote: »

Do you drive?
If so I suggest taking that route in the car on a friday!

I live in Oakfield too and i've done it. It is more than possible to take that long my friend!

Westsider eh!? Thats two of us - the bhoys from the 'boy!!

I wouldnt doubt that it could take that long to at that time - but you wouldnt have to go through town surely!?

Gillie

sligobhoy67 wrote: »

Westsider eh!? Thats two of us - the bhoys from the 'boy!!

I wouldnt doubt that it could take that long to at that time - but you wouldnt have to go through town surely!?

Hell no! There are plenty of shortcuts!

I once was up at the hospital and ended up going out to dromahair (hazelwood road) and back in by Dooney Rock to get to Oakfield!
It was THAT bad!
There was a crash somewhere along the line and it f*cked the whole lot up.
This was before the "new" road!

il gatto

The traffic has affected a councillor?:eek: Oh no. Change everything that took so long to do in the first place. It's entirely likely it took that long. I've been stuck on Hughes Bridge (from Ash Lane to Docks) for 45 minutes alone.
The thing is, Sligo is very variable. You can get stuck in heavy traffic before lunch on a Tuesday, and drive straight through at five on a Friday. It's impossible to know what's facing you until it's too late.
The funny thing about the airport debate is this. By IAA regulations, an runway needs to be of a certain lenght to land planes of a certain capacity. In Sligo's case, to land the next size up of aircraft, the runway is a few hundred meters too short. However, most of the larger aircraft, such as the BA146 can actually land and take off using half the runway lenght at Strandhill, due to more powerful engines, airbrakes etc. The usual aircraft using Sligo are wheezing turboprops such as Fokker50's and ATR42's, and as such, use up more runway to take off and land. If IAA regulations were more in tune with the performance figures of many modern aircraft, the runway at Strandhill would be deemed long enough.
Apart from the shellfish company, who's point I see, dumping thousands of tons of rubble into an existing tidal channel doesn't seem smart or right.

TequilaMockingBird

il gatto wrote: »

The funny thing about the airport debate is this. By IAA regulations, an runway needs to be of a certain lenght to land planes of a certain capacity. In Sligo's case, to land the next size up of aircraft, the runway is a few hundred meters too short. However, most of the larger aircraft, such as the BA146 can actually land and take off using half the runway lenght at Strandhill, due to more powerful engines, airbrakes etc. The usual aircraft using Sligo are wheezing turboprops such as Fokker50's and ATR42's, and as such, use up more runway to take off and land. If IAA regulations were more in tune with the performance figures of many modern aircraft, the runway at Strandhill would be deemed long enough.
Apart from the shellfish company, who's point I see, dumping thousands of tons of rubble into an existing tidal channel doesn't seem smart or right.

Crikey...its Gillie reincarnated!

Back OT, thanks for the information!

Gillie

il gatto wrote: »

The funny thing about the airport debate is this. By IAA regulations, an runway needs to be of a certain lenght to land planes of a certain capacity. In Sligo's case, to land the next size up of aircraft, the runway is a few hundred meters too short. However, most of the larger aircraft, such as the BA146 can actually land and take off using half the runway lenght at Strandhill, due to more powerful engines, airbrakes etc. The usual aircraft using Sligo are wheezing turboprops such as Fokker50's and ATR42's, and as such, use up more runway to take off and land. If IAA regulations were more in tune with the performance figures of many modern aircraft, the runway at Strandhill would be deemed long enough.
Apart from the shellfish company, who's point I see, dumping thousands of tons of rubble into an existing tidal channel doesn't seem smart or right.

I would tend to agree with you but if they move to Collooney they'd be better off building a bigger airport and a bigger runway.

I would be delighted with this but it would be hard to justify with Knock only up the road!

I would also like to see flights to Cork/Limerick introduced but again they're might not be demand.

Gillie

The Rally has highlighted traffic issues again in Sligo.

This is from last weeks weekender I think:

Nightmare’ traffic fear over rally
By John Bromley

MOTORISTS in Sligo are facing a “nightmare scenario” for traffic when the World Rally Championship comes to town unless O’Connell Street is opened to vehicles, it has been claimed.

Chairman of the Sligo Taxi Association Aubrey Meville said that even with O’Connell Street open Sligo will struggle to cope with the traffic over the weekend of November 17 and 18.

“I can foresee major, major problems and everybody that we have spoken to says the same,” he said.

“There is no way as it stands at the moment that Sligo can handle 50,000 people coming in each day for this rally. The only way that I see it working is by opening up O’Connell Street completely for the week that the rally is on.”

Speaking to the Weekender last Friday, he said: “Today the traffic is backed up on Ash Lane and there is nothing special on. Can you imagine what it will be like on the weekend of the rally.” He said he was not just scaremongering, but was warning of what he feared would happen.

“Sligo taxi people are all in favour of the rally and want to see it coming back here again in two years time,” he said. “If things don’t work properly this time it is not going to come back again.”

But while particularly concerned about the rally weekend, the taxi drivers want to see O’Connell Street re-opened to traffic all the time.

“It was wrong that O’Connell Street was closed,” said Mr Melville. “Sligo is not big enough to have its main street pedestrianised. Anyone who is out driving will see the problems it is causing.”

Mr Meville had mixed views on proposals to make Wine Street oneway and to transfer the taxi rank from Quay Street to Wine Street.

“Quay Street is going to be pedestrianised and the taxi rank would have to be moved and Wine Street is the only place for it to go.”

However, he was not so happy about Wine Street being made oneway.

“I think that the one-way system down Wine Street is just going to add to the chaos that we already have.

“Sligo seems to be getting turned into a circle and it isn’t working as it stands, because it is an absolute nightmare.”

He said that because of delays in traffic, taxi drivers were having to charge people fares that were way beyond what they should be.

And Mr Meville felt that the traffic situation in Sligo was going to get even worse.

“With the level of construction that is going on in Sligo and the level of construction that is going to go on in the future, I don’t see how it is going to make sense to keep O’Connell Street closed until the new bridge is opened. Even then it is still going to cause problems.”

Thoughts?

Gillie

New proposed Developments in Sligo
From todays weekender:

Developments to provide Sligo with 120 new shops
By John Bromley

SLIGO recently got its second major shopping centre with the opening of Johnston Court, providing 28 new shop units in the town.

But if all the retail outlets presently planned for Sligo town centre and those already available for letting are eventually filled, the town will have over 120 new shops within the next few years.

To put that in context, there are at present in the centre of town roughly 250shops and other business outlets. That figure includes restaurants and cafes but excludes pubs, professional offices (doctors, solicitors, etc) and financial institutions.

So if a new business is found for each of the new retail units, it will mean an almost 50 per cent increase on what is there already.

Quayside, the first big shopping centre in Sligo, has just opened four new shops on a new mezzanine level, bringing to 45 the number of businesses now in the centre.

But it is a case of you ain’t seen nothing yet as several more large shopping developments are in the pipeline for the town centre.

The biggest of these are in what is called the Centre Block area. This is basically the Wine Street car park and the area around it.

Initially, seven years ago it was decided that there should be one major shopping centre with a multi-storey car park developed in this area.

The property development company Treasury Holdings were awarded “preferred developer” status by the Borough Council to carry out that development.

However, things have not turned out quite as envisaged in the council’s Masterplan and the development of the area is more piecemeal, mainly due to the fact that Tesco and Dunnes decided not to be part of it.

Both of those have received planning permission for separate developments on their existing sites.

Tesco are to build a new two storey shop, with two storeys of apartments overhead.

On the other side of the car park Dunnes are to demolish their shop on Adelaide Street and replace it with a two and three storey shop plus restaurant, with a five storey car park attached for 480 cars.

Alongside that and linked at roof level Callside Developments (a subsidiary of Treasury Holdings) have got planning permission for a four storey building, which will have four sizeable retail units as well as offices.

Within the car park itself Callside have planning applications for two developments.

They should shortly be getting a decision on the largest of these, a shopping and residential complex in the centre of the car park. It will have 28 shops, as well as a multi-storey car park for around 500 cars.

Callside have also recently given notice that it is to seek planning permission for a new development on the northern (Wine Street) car park.

It will involve the demolition of the present two-storey row of premises stretching from the House of Value to Connolly Fruit and Veg. In its place they plan a five-storey building, with ten two-storey retail units and offices and apartments on the other three floors.

And yet a further development has been given planning permission on the opposite side of the car park. It is a huge redevelopment of the Adelaide bar block. It will provide another six shops plus 55 apartments.

The other main area of activity is in one of the oldest areas of town, known as the Courthouse Block. It lies between Teeling Street and Market St/High St.

At the upper end of that there is the almost completed development at Connolly Street/Mail Coach Road. There are 14 shops there along with 141 apartments.

Also granted planning permission are two adjacent developments opening onto and at the back of High Street and Castle Street. One involves 17 shops and the other ten shops. They will share an underground car park for 129 cars.

Planning permission has also been granted for a development in Teeling Street which will have six shops

Nearby in Castle Street, the redevelopment of the former Woods shop will provide a new large store over two levels, while there is another large retail unit nearing completion next door in the Castle House development.

Over at the top of O’Connell Street, at the junction of Harmony Hill and John Street there is a four storey building currently available for letting.

Just outside the town centre, planning permission has been granted for a large retail and office development at Cranmore Road, behind St Anne’s Church and almost opposite Dunnes Stores. Planning was sought there for a large discount food store, as well as two smaller shops.

Aside from those large projects there are also a number of smaller developments with one or two shop units either already available for letting, under construction or in various stages of planning.

Also talked about has been a second phase of the Quayside centre with perhaps another 15 shops. The economic climate may be a factor in deciding whether all of those developments go ahead but at this stage all of them appear to be serious projects involving serious players in the retail or property development business.

More crucially, and certainly dependent on how the economy is performing, is whether they can all be successful in attracting the businesses to fill all these new units.

An idea of how optimistic developers are about the commercial future of the town may be gained from the interest in the sale of the former ESB premises, which stretches from Castle Street, along Thomas Street, down to Rockwood Pa rade. Tenders for it are to be in by Thursday.



A lot there. The bit in Italics is the most important point.

Discuss...