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Stores Closing in Sligo **mod warning post #720**
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redarmyblues wrote: »So the way to make Sligo more attractive is to destroy the onlyt attractive part , build an eastern bridge and watch Tesco, Pennys and T IK Maxx join the other big shops on Cranmore road and in Cleveragh.
I believe big stores should be on the outskirts of the town centre, other towns have done this and it hasn't affected business in the centre of town, if you draw people from outside the locality to the fringes and make it as easy as possible to venture in to the centre they will do that. Closing the only alternative for getting across the river i.e. O' Connell st will make it harder to get to the centre of town also. Try coming from the North side of town at 6 in the evening to see how hard it is to get through the 'Inner relief road'
By the way, I'm all for pedestrianisation of the town centre, as a cyclist and motorist I think it has to be the end game for the town centre. As someone who worked on O Connell st. the last time it happened I saw huge benefits, but the traffic problems it causes should be fixed first.
Lastly, if you really believe that Doorly park area is the only attractive part of Sligo I really suggest you get out more and take a look around.0 -
I believe big stores should be on the outskirts of the town centre, other towns have done this and it hasn't affected business in the centre of town, if you draw people from outside the locality to the fringes and make it as easy as possible to venture in to the centre they will do that. Closing the only alternative for getting across the river i.e. O' Connell st will make it harder to get to the centre of town also. Try coming from the North side of town at 6 in the evening to see how hard it is to get through the 'Inner relief road'
By the way, I'm all for pedestrianisation of the town centre, as a cyclist and motorist I think it has to be the end game for the town centre. As someone who worked on O Connell st. the last time it happened I saw huge benefits, but the traffic problems it causes should be fixed first.
Lastly, if you really believe that Doorly park area is the only attractive part of Sligo I really suggest you get out more and take a look around.
Name the attractive parts please.0 -
redarmyblues wrote: »Name the attractive parts please.
I have to apologise, I'm not sure if you're kidding or actually serious....0 -
I am serious, name one part of the urban area other than the Riverside that is other than nondescript, ugly, or anonymous.0
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redarmyblues wrote: »I am serious, name one part of the urban area other than the Riverside that is other than nondescript, ugly, or anonymous.
The peace park, to name one.
Edit: Actually, add Kevinsfort park to that, perimeter walk and playgrounds for children, and the fact that the upper part of Doorly, across from the Sports complex will still be the same, pretty much the whole of the back avenue will be the same apart from a wider road and one bridge.0 -
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Come to Sligo and be bored in Kevinsfort Park and gored in the Peace Park.
Pedestrianisation is not a panacea, in the US there is 89% failure rate http://urbancurrent.org/2014/01/16/the-failed-experiment-of-the-american-pedestrian-mall/. In the UK which is ahead of us on most matters there is quite a debate about the issue, with many blaming pedestrianisation for falling business. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/empty-shops-cardiffs-st-mary-2508071 - http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/pedestrianisation-and-the-decline-of-the-high-street/ Though I doubt that any member of the pro and anti lobby doubts the negative effect of out of town shopping. If you visit any an ordinary market town in the English regions with an out of town Shopping Centre, the pedestrianised High st will have only charity shops, money shops, pound shops and bookie shops, the pubs are mostly closed except the bank is now a Witherspoons, The kind of town that feature in the Guardians "lets move to" section tend to have attractive cores whether pedestrianised or not but they have the advantage of being attractive in the first place and they work hard to keep it that way. Chewing up the urban area with new roads to improve the urban area is a Sligo thing and it hasn't worked very well for the town thus far.0 -
redarmyblues wrote: »Come to Sligo and be bored in Kevinsfort Park and gored in the Peace Park.
Pedestrianisation is not a panacea, in the US there is 89% failure rate http://urbancurrent.org/2014/01/16/the-failed-experiment-of-the-american-pedestrian-mall/. In the UK which is ahead of us on most matters there is quite a debate about the issue, with many blaming pedestrianisation for falling business. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/empty-shops-cardiffs-st-mary-2508071 - http://aseasyasridingabike.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/pedestrianisation-and-the-decline-of-the-high-street/ Though I doubt that any member of the pro and anti lobby doubts the negative effect of out of town shopping. If you visit any an ordinary market town in the English regions with an out of town Shopping Centre, the pedestrianised High st will have only charity shops, money shops, pound shops and bookie shops, the pubs are mostly closed except the bank is now a Witherspoons, The kind of town that feature in the Guardians "lets move to" section tend to have attractive cores whether pedestrianised or not but they have the advantage of being attractive in the first place and they work hard to keep it that way. Chewing up the urban area with new roads to improve the urban area is a Sligo thing and it hasn't worked very well for the town thus far.
America has long been over reliant on the car. Their whole lifestyle, planning (or lack of), is very different to Ireland's although lack of planning is definitely an Irish trait. What is similar however is that many of their highways are completely gridlocked and are a complete nightmare to use to simply get from A to B.
As for towns in the UK consisting of only pound shops and charity shops. Shopping as we know it has completely changed in the last 30 plus years. People/teenagers want to drive to large outlets and giant shopping centres and shop there and of course shopping on line has also blasted small towns out of the water.
Most small towns regardless of being pedestriansed will have a high concentration of charity shops, pound shops local newsagents etc. These shops simply don't fit/can't compete against these giant sprawling shopping centres.
Empty shops should be rezoned back for domestic use. The owners of these empty buildings should also be brought to task for allowing the empty buildings to rot and fester. Allow people to live back in the town centre hubs. Perhaps people will eventually start leaving the shopping giants on the outskirts, perhaps not, but there are alternative smaller more pleasant CAR FREE options also.0 -
redarmyblues wrote: »Come to Sligo and be bored in Kevinsfort Park and gored in the Peace Park.
I had to laugh at that, You could easily add Doorly park into that too. In fact, I've felt more likely to get 'gored' near Doorly park far more than the Peace park.
The Back Avenue is nice, in fact the new park up near the sports complex is probably one of the nicest areas 'in town' to go for a walk, however it still isn't Doorly park. The reason people come to Sligo is for the scenery around the town Knocnarea, Benbulben etc), not in the town itself.
I'm all for the pedestrianisation of the town. The fact you could walk from one side of it to the other (Teeling st - Adelaide st via Castle st) just shows you how small the town is. But I'm sure you're aware of how lazy Sligo drivers are. You see them everywhere in town parking up on loading bays, double yellow lines, corners, pedestian crossings etc.
One big obstacle you'll see to the pedestrianisation is the fact that the Council would have to extend the pay per parking even further out of town. It is a goldmine for them, the most expensive town to park in the North West0 -
America has long been over reliant on the car. Their whole lifestyle, planning (or lack of), is very different to Ireland's although lack of planning is definitely an Irish trait. What is similar however is that many of their highways are completely gridlocked and are a complete nightmare to use to simply get from A to B.
As for towns in the UK consisting of only pound shops and charity shops. Shopping as we know it has completely changed in the last 30 plus years. People/teenagers want to drive to large outlets and giant shopping centres and shop there and of course shopping on line has also blasted small towns out of the water.
Most small towns regardless of being pedestriansed will have a high concentration of charity shops, pound shops local newsagents etc. These shops simply don't fit/can't compete against these giant sprawling shopping centres.
Empty shops should be rezoned back for domestic use. The owners of these empty buildings should also be brought to task for allowing the empty buildings to rot and fester. Allow people to live back in the town centre hubs. Perhaps people will eventually start leaving the shopping giants on the outskirts, perhaps not, but there are alternative smaller more pleasant CAR FREE options also.0 -
The Euro shop on O Connell Street has closed, ominous sign that. TBH it is hard to see any way back for the town centre, except as a residential zone, there wasn't a single empty retail unit in Sligo in 2004 and now it is hard to see one that will be occupied for sure in 2024. A thing that could be done is to make it attractive to cyclists and do away with a one way system which passeth all understanding and perhaps develop a little marina where the Eastern Bridge was planned to go and maybe put a wee coffee shop in the Doorley Park gatehouse but to be really honest I gave up on this kiphole of a town years ago.0
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redarmyblues wrote: »The Euro shop on O Connell Street has closed, ominous sign that. TBH it is hard to see any way back for the town centre, except as a residential zone, there wasn't a single empty retail unit in Sligo in 2004 and now it is hard to see one that will be occupied for sure in 2024. A thing that could be done is to make it attractive to cyclists and do away with a one way system which passeth all understanding and perhaps develop a little marina where the Eastern Bridge was planned to go and maybe put a wee coffee shop in the Doorley Park gatehouse but to be really honest I gave up on this kiphole of a town years ago.
You couldn't get around this town except for the one way system, the streets are really too narrow by today's standards, I have a feeling you'll retort with something like 'get rid of the on street parking to allow a second lane' so I'll jump forward and ask where would the delivery drivers offload?
You think that Doorly is the only nice area of the town, think pedestrianisation is not the way to go, and the eastern bridge should not be built, but we should build a marina, for what exactly? I like seeing the fishing boats moored by the back avenue but there's hardly enough boats to justify a marina.
Then after all this you resign yourself to giving up on this 'kiphole' of a town.
I don't get it...
Final thought on the whole Doorly Park argument, the plan shows the bridge to come out here:
Now, you may be fond of that pylon you can see across the river but I couldn't care less about it, as for the other part, yes, it does lead onto a residential street (directly behind the view), and I understand people in the area will have a problem with it, but I would argue that the majority of people in Sligo town would be for the eastern bridge to go ahead, sadly, like countless times before, a small minority with a vested interest hold the rest of the town to ransom, and stifle development. As if it wasn't bad enough that we've had to deal with a bumbling council and local government for countless years, small pockets of locals and business people refuse to allow the town to improve.
I'm sure the comment will be made that I would think differently if the main road was on my doorstep, but I really don't think I would, if it was assured that it was going to be done in a way to minimise the destruction on the scenery and leave it suitably safe for my children (not even considering there is a park less than two minutes away where the safety will not be compromised), and they could show that it will benefit the area as a whole I think I would be all for it.
Better a vibrant regional capital than a bleak ghost town that has a 'kind of nice river walk, pity about all the rubbish'0 -
Bebo stunnah wrote: »
One big obstacle you'll see to the pedestrianisation is the fact that the Council would have to extend the pay per parking even further out of town. It is a goldmine for them, the most expensive town to park in the North West
Good point, particularly as the two retail parks are privately owned I believe.0 -
You couldn't get around this town except for the one way system, the streets are really too narrow by today's standards, I have a feeling you'll retort with something like 'get rid of the on street parking to allow a second lane' so I'll jump forward and ask where would the delivery drivers offload?
You think that Doorly is the only nice area of the town, think pedestrianisation is not the way to go, and the eastern bridge should not be built, but we should build a marina, for what exactly? I like seeing the fishing boats moored by the back avenue but there's hardly enough boats to justify a marina.
Then after all this you resign yourself to giving up on this 'kiphole' of a town.
I don't get it...
Final thought on the whole Doorly Park argument, the plan shows the bridge to come out here:
Now, you may be fond of that pylon you can see across the river but I couldn't care less about it, as for the other part, yes, it does lead onto a residential street (directly behind the view), and I understand people in the area will have a problem with it, but I would argue that the majority of people in Sligo town would be for the eastern bridge to go ahead, sadly, like countless times before, a small minority with a vested interest hold the rest of the town to ransom, and stifle development. As if it wasn't bad enough that we've had to deal with a bumbling council and local government for countless years, small pockets of locals and business people refuse to allow the town to improve.
I'm sure the comment will be made that I would think differently if the main road was on my doorstep, but I really don't think I would, if it was assured that it was going to be done in a way to minimise the destruction on the scenery and leave it suitably safe for my children (not even considering there is a park less than two minutes away where the safety will not be compromised), and they could show that it will benefit the area as a whole I think I would be all for it.
Better a vibrant regional capital than a bleak ghost town that has a 'kind of nice river walk, pity about all the rubbish'
I think we get around the town in spite of the one way system, Sligo has had other one way traffic systems prior to this one, which is designed not to improve navigation about the streets by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists but rather to move traffic from one side of the town to the other and does it badly IMO.
I said the Riverside not Doorly Park was the only nice area in Sligo (meaning the built area) which you failed to contradict naming a private garden (albeit with public access) and a park that is like any other built with lotto funds. You don't speak for the majority of people in Sligo, you speak only for yourself. If you were to have a look at the original CPO's issued for the northern section of the EB, you might assume that it was decided by vested interests to site the bridge where it was intended to go, which is to the west of the location in your photograph. If you were to look at the proposed bridge design you might assume that is has been designed to maximise the impact on the local area rather than minimise it (the height of the traffic above the ground, the arch height, the fact in runs through the centre of the area rather than around it). The bridge and approach was expected to carry 30,000 vehicles a day, including heavy traffic through the middle of a residential area,( there would have been no speed ramps) chewing up its green space, I don't believe any predictions were made on diesel emissions for the bridge given that diesel is carcinogenic (especially to children).
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/world-health-organization-says-diesel-exhaust-causes-cancer. Would you move your children to within a few feet of this road and also people will have to cross a road carrying up to 50 cars a minute to access the park as or else brave an underpass, there an alternative route upriver which local residents support but this was not considered by the Council, even though the approach road runs pass this crossing point at the Boathouse.
I don't think the road will benefit the area or town as a whole, I think it will have the effect of hastening the decline of the historic town centre and create a new one on Cleveragh/Cranmore Roads. If you must have another road to alleviate urban traffic then build a proper bypass like every other town in Ireland. This should have been done years ago instead of the Mid Block Route, but vested interests ensured otherwise.
I am not opposed to pedestrianisation BTW, I merely stated it is not a panacea, it like any other proposal should be properly thought through rather than thinking "Oh an Eastern Bridge, that would be handy" like you appear to have done.0 -
I don't think anyone who uses Doorly Park for cycling, walking, jogging, walking their dog, fishing, etc will welcome this bridge. The location is horrible, and will be a blight on one of the nicest most peaceful areas in town. If I lived in that estate I would be furious. The town is already full of a-hole drivers who don't give a toss about pedestrians, cyclists or any one, who park all over the footpath, and the park is one area you can avoid that to a certain degree. Even yesterday some fishermen were sitting in their van while it was parked right in the road, not even partly on the footpath, just in the same lane as if they were driving, but stopped. This kind of illegal and dangerous behavior by motorists will increase in the area. If we keep allowing this overdevelopment we'll have nowhere safe for our children to do things like learn how to ride a bike, nowhere to exercise without cars whipping past a few inches from us. We're not a city, we're a quirky little town and that charm is worth more than an unneeded bridge that will break up the entrance to a lovely piece of nature.
Plenty of us live in town precisely because we don't drive and have little need to. I just don't see how this bridge is going to help those town residents. I don't think it will help those that do drive enough to justify making a big eyesore, and there will be more undesirable elements likely to hang out around the bridge. Currently the entrance is probably the safest part of the park. I enjoy living on this side of town as I am close to the town centre but not exposed to the loud student life. If this bridge goes ahead we could end up with students making crap of the area like they have with the estates near the IT as they will see it as a handy location between the IT and Toffs.0 -
redarmyblues wrote: »but to be really honest I gave up on this kiphole of a town years ago.
Who's holding the gun to your head and forcing you to stay?0 -
AllGunsBlazing wrote: »Who's holding the gun to your head and forcing you to stay?
redarmyblues & AllGunsBlazing can you please stay on topic and refrain from using derogatory language, or I'll have to give you both a warning.0 -
redarmyblues wrote: »I think we get around the town in spite of the one way system, Sligo has had other one way traffic systems prior to this one, which is designed not to improve navigation about the streets by pedestrians, cyclists and motorists but rather to move traffic from one side of the town to the other and does it badly IMO.
I said the Riverside not Doorly Park was the only nice area in Sligo (meaning the built area) which you failed to contradict naming a private garden (albeit with public access) and a park that is like any other built with lotto funds. You don't speak for the majority of people in Sligo, you speak only for yourself. If you were to have a look at the original CPO's issued for the northern section of the EB, you might assume that it was decided by vested interests to site the bridge where it was intended to go, which is to the west of the location in your photograph. If you were to look at the proposed bridge design you might assume that is has been designed to maximise the impact on the local area rather than minimise it (the height of the traffic above the ground, the arch height, the fact in runs through the centre of the area rather than around it). The bridge and approach was expected to carry 30,000 vehicles a day, including heavy traffic through the middle of a residential area,( there would have been no speed ramps) chewing up its green space, I don't believe any predictions were made on diesel emissions for the bridge given that diesel is carcinogenic (especially to children).
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/world-health-organization-says-diesel-exhaust-causes-cancer. Would you move your children to within a few feet of this road and also people will have to cross a road carrying up to 50 cars a minute to access the park as or else brave an underpass, there an alternative route upriver which local residents support but this was not considered by the Council, even though the approach road runs pass this crossing point at the Boathouse.
I don't think the road will benefit the area or town as a whole, I think it will have the effect of hastening the decline of the historic town centre and create a new one on Cleveragh/Cranmore Roads. If you must have another road to alleviate urban traffic then build a proper bypass like every other town in Ireland. This should have been done years ago instead of the Mid Block Route, but vested interests ensured otherwise.
I am not opposed to pedestrianisation BTW, I merely stated it is not a panacea, it like any other proposal should be properly thought through rather than thinking "Oh an Eastern Bridge, that would be handy" like you appear to have done.
I think just because you don't agree with an alternative to the riverside it doesn't mean I completely failed to put forward an argument.
I also never said I speak for the majority of Sligo, just that I would argue that the majority would be for it.
As for the design, you make a valid argument IMO that it is over bearing, there is no requirement for the arch that high, but I've never heard anyone protest about the design, more about not wanting it at all.
With all your facts and figures about number of cars per day the only link you give is to a two year old article stating something everyone knows already so I'm guessing you must be alluding to HGV's.
The fact is, that while HGV's deliver to Aldi/Lidl etc, any HGV will take the inner relief road if bypassing the town, that's what it's there for, any truck using the bridge to deliver to the likes of Aldi or Lidl would have to pass by other residents doors to get there as it is, but that's of no interest as long as it's not the residents of Doorly?
I think we are well beyond the proper bypass route by now I'm afraid, this was something that should have been done 20 years or more ago, the sprawl in the town is probably too wide to build a proper bypass, I do agree the inner relief road wasn't the best choice, but I can't see many people who would have preferred it to stay the way it was.
In short, this eastern bridge discussion came from talk of pedestrianising O'Connell street, I fully believe the centre of a town the size of Sligo would benefit from pedestrianisation, but not if another alternative to getting past the town from north to south is found. Until then, O'Connell street should not be closed, not because I don't think it'd work, but because the fact it was closed and reopened proved it didn't last time, and nothing has changed.
Finally, if I may poke a little fun, in your last post you talk of "the historic town centre", yet above that it's a "kiphole", make up your mind eh?
In all seriousness though, I cannot see this being solved any time soon, so expect to see more shops being talked about here, and possibly a new regional capital emerge in the north west.0 -
Even yesterday some fishermen were sitting in their van while it was parked right in the road, not even partly on the footpath, just in the same lane as if they were driving, but stopped. This kind of illegal and dangerous behavior by motorists will increase in the area.
For the people proposing about a bypass where do they suggest it should go? As the town has spread pretty out pretty far over the last 30+ years. The bridge would be one of the only viable options to take some of the traffic of huges bridge.
Back on topic Lyons shoe shop closed last week.0 -
I think just because you don't agree with an alternative to the riverside it doesn't mean I completely failed to put forward an argument.
I also never said I speak for the majority of Sligo, just that I would argue that the majority would be for it.
As for the design, you make a valid argument IMO that it is over bearing, there is no requirement for the arch that high, but I've never heard anyone protest about the design, more about not wanting it at all.
With all your facts and figures about number of cars per day the only link you give is to a two year old article stating something everyone knows already so I'm guessing you must be alluding to HGV's.
The fact is, that while HGV's deliver to Aldi/Lidl etc, any HGV will take the inner relief road if bypassing the town, that's what it's there for, any truck using the bridge to deliver to the likes of Aldi or Lidl would have to pass by other residents doors to get there as it is, but that's of no interest as long as it's not the residents of Doorly?
I think we are well beyond the proper bypass route by now I'm afraid, this was something that should have been done 20 years or more ago, the sprawl in the town is probably too wide to build a proper bypass, I do agree the inner relief road wasn't the best choice, but I can't see many people who would have preferred it to stay the way it was.
In short, this eastern bridge discussion came from talk of pedestrianising O'Connell street, I fully believe the centre of a town the size of Sligo would benefit from pedestrianisation, but not if another alternative to getting past the town from north to south is found. Until then, O'Connell street should not be closed, not because I don't think it'd work, but because the fact it was closed and reopened proved it didn't last time, and nothing has changed.
Finally, if I may poke a little fun, in your last post you talk of "the historic town centre", yet above that it's a "kiphole", make up your mind eh?
In all seriousness though, I cannot see this being solved any time soon, so expect to see more shops being talked about here, and possibly a new regional capital emerge in the north west.
The traffic numbers were in the original EIS and were cited to justify the expense (€50M), I am sure it can be googled if anyone is bothered, locals around the site of the proposed Eastern Bridge were initially favour of the bridge but it was the design that caused the opposition, it was rumoured that the torturous southern approach was conceived by a senior official in the CoCo to lessen the effect on his mothers house.
There was a western bypass proposed for inclusion in the current CDP but it was voted off after a campaign by residents on the Strandhill road, so too was the Eastern Bridge, but that was reinstated after a campaign by elements in the local media/CoC/CoCo and others. I am optimistically sceptical that no further bridges or roads will be built across the Garavogue, we had our chance when we decided on the MBR/Hughes Bridge and we blew it and if what we got is imperfect, then that is what we deserve, while a WBP might make more sense than an EB it is still not justified to pour concrete and tar into another area so as you can knock a little time off the school run.
I remember when the historic centre, while never pretty, did have a handsome streetscape, it has been in decline for may a long year now (30) and off the top of my head, O Connell Street alone has lost the following Shop fronts, "The Wood and Iron", "Johnsons", "Old McGarrigles" "The Wine Cellar", "Toher's Medical Hall", "Beezies/O Connor Brothers" but they and more were tore down in the name of progress, and it that time it is hard to remember anything really positive happening in the town centre and it is much harder to imagine things improving in the future.0 -
Can we get back to the original thread please?!0
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The last lot of posts on here have nothing to do with stores closing. Open another thread or use the general thread.0
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Is Gamestop in Wine Street closing?
I haven't heard anything to that effect, but was in there for the first time in ages today and it looks like a bomb has hit it (stock not priced, stock missing from the walls, and most notably, the big metal stands in the middle of the shop appear to have been drastically cut back... )0 -
Amataratsu wrote: »Is Gamestop in Wine Street closing?
I haven't heard anything to that effect, but was in there for the first time in ages today and it looks like a bomb has hit it (stock not priced, stock missing from the walls, and most notably, the big metal stands in the middle of the shop appear to have been drastically cut back... )
CEX will take all their secondhand business IMO.0 -
Ulster Bank Pearse Road closing!!
Not sure when.0 -
I've heard Koko Laté in Quayside has shut - anyone if that's true?0
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Amataratsu wrote: »I've heard Koko Laté in Quayside has shut - anyone if that's true?
It's a pity if it is closing, one of the best coffee shops in Town IMO. The location sure didn't help it.
There is a new cafe in the Stephen Street car park as well, another poor location. But I suppose if you have a good rep, good food/coffee and a regular customer base you'll do all right, Chapters seems to be proof of that.0 -
Amataratsu wrote: »I've heard Koko Laté in Quayside has shut - anyone if that's true?
I think they're relocating rather than closing.0 -
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Any idea what happens if your a/c is there? Do you have to change it over to the other one or does it automatically transfer?
I'd like to know that too, I usually do all my transactions and queries with Stephen Street but I opened the account in Pearse Road so that's where my sort code is for. I don't think it's happening until November and I'm hoping by then the Credit Union will be offering Current Accounts to member and then I am most certainly gone from UB.0
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