Are there any plans to do anything about Drogheda's decline?

fergal.b

I see we hit the papers today

fergal.b

Great run yesterday but not many photos as I was surfing all the way up the Boyne on the wake of the pilot boat and lifeboat
We launched at the "Boyne fishermans rescue and recovery" where they did all the hard work of launching and we just had to climb onboard.










The calm before the storm :eek:




There was a great welcome all the way along the banks up into Drogheda where we tied up and headed Off for lunch in The d hotel.





This is a photo of the proposed Drogheda Marina that the Mayor say's should be in place by next year.

eth0_

I haven't posted on Boards in years but felt I had to today.

I'm home for Christmas, visiting my parents who live just outside Drogheda. I grew up here and I know Drogheda wasn't all that in the 90's and early 2000's but there was a bit of pride about the town, and it wasn't a depressing place to be.

I went for a walk round the town earlier today and wow, what a sad place it has become. Every other building is tumbledown or in need of a serious paint job. Graffiti everywhere. Empty shops and lots of shops selling the same old tat. Horrid plastic signage on shops - particularly the Polish food shop that's taken over The Sound Shop! Litter.

Even the posher side of Drogheda around Bryanstown/Stameen area is looking run down with lots of graffiti.

Why doesn't the council get the finger out? Why are shop owners/leaseholders allowing their buildings to become half derelict?

It's shocking to think people might want to invest in the town will see it in this state. I'd turn around and leave!

Nesta99

eth0_ wrote: »

I haven't posted on Boards in years but felt I had to today.

I'm home for Christmas, visiting my parents who live just outside Drogheda. I grew up here and I know Drogheda wasn't all that in the 90's and early 2000's but there was a bit of pride about the town, and it wasn't a depressing place to be.

I went for a walk round the town earlier today and wow, what a sad place it has become. Every other building is tumbledown or in need of a serious paint job. Graffiti everywhere. Empty shops and lots of shops selling the same old tat. Horrid plastic signage on shops - particularly the Polish food shop that's taken over The Sound Shop! Litter.

Even the posher side of Drogheda around Bryanstown/Stameen area is looking run down with lots of graffiti.

Why doesn't the council get the finger out? Why are shop owners/leaseholders allowing their buildings to become half derelict?

It's shocking to think people might want to invest in the town will see it in this state. I'd turn around and leave!

High council rates during a recession something has to give, and building maintenance would be one of the first to go. Vicious cycle then isnt it as people aint attracted to a run down looking place further tightening the belt. Great to see the Marina is to become a reality after years of talking about it. The refurbishment of Market Square in Dundalk has already reaped reward with multiple sucessful events being held and now the hosting the Giro d'italia this coming May - very unlikely tha this would have happend prior to the refurb.

enricoh

1: the corpo still charge celtic tiger rates n when yer a small shop struggling to survive there mightnt be much dough left for painting n nice wooden signs etc

2:parking can be a pain in the arse, is expensive n parking tickets if yer delayed. not an issue in any of the retail parks

3:the town could have done with an aldi or lidl in the centre to draw people in.

no. 1 n 2 are down totally to the corpo so expect zero change there, no. 3 - i'd say aldi n lidl are happy enough with 2 each

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

enricoh wrote: »

1: the corpo still charge celtic tiger rates n when yer a small shop struggling to survive there mightnt be much dough left for painting n nice wooden signs etc

2:parking can be a pain in the arse, is expensive n parking tickets if yer delayed. not an issue in any of the retail parks

3:the town could have done with an aldi or lidl in the centre to draw people in.

no. 1 n 2 are down totally to the corpo so expect zero change there, no. 3 - i'd say aldi n lidl are happy enough with 2 each

Unfortunately, not one of those points is unique to Drogheda. Indeed they apply to most towns in Ireland today. Look just up the road from you in Dundalk and you'll find the same thing.

enricoh

Brayson Gentle Tart wrote: »

Unfortunately, not one of those points is unique to Drogheda. Indeed they apply to most towns in Ireland today. Look just up the road from you in Dundalk and you'll find the same thing.

i know its a similar situation in most towns but i really think the government should be forcing councils to drop the rates to say 2/3 of 2007s rate.
i know a lad who had a shop idle for over 2 years and he got a tenant in recently. on his second day open he had the lad in looking for the rates - thats taking the piss.

hopefully they find a new newgrange in the survey of the cup n saucer n we'll have a tourism boom!

Lord TSC

Brayson Gentle Tart wrote: »

Unfortunately, not one of those points is unique to Drogheda. Indeed they apply to most towns in Ireland today. Look just up the road from you in Dundalk and you'll find the same thing.

Honestly, I disagree.

I've started heading up to Swords, and the shopping center in particular, and the difference between it and Drogheda are night and day. It actually is quite upsetting how vibrant and full of life it is compared to Drogheda, where Scotch Hall stands as a relic to a foregone time. Seems the only times people go into SH are to get in and get out as quickly as possible. And it's not as if there's that big a difference in the selection of stores; certainly not as big a difference to signify the difference in numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I get Swords is a more affluent area. But the idea that Drogheda can't change because other towns are doing bad is one that frustrates me. I know I'm verging towards a rant, and not just about the replied to post, but it frustrates me how many young entrepreneurs and potential small business owners are driven out of the country, while a town like Drogheda has all these empty buildings and shops which are kept that way because greedy shop owners would rather the building stay empty than lower their rates.

In many ways, Drogheda would be perfect for a revival in terms of how many empty shops there are, how many unemployed people of all skill levels there are....I know that the banks don't have money to lend, but I feel it's a damn shame that the government don't try and take a few towns, make small business grants a bit more accessible, and use that money to fill the stores, create actual jobs and actually bring a bit of life back into the town

fergal.b

I haven't been in Drogheda since the boat run,has there been any work or movement towards the marina getting built ? I hear the TALL SHIPS will be there in june for the maritime festival and it would be handy if there was a place for smaller boats to tie up.




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ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Honestly, I disagree.

I've started heading up to Swords, and the shopping center in particular, and the difference between it and Drogheda are night and day. It actually is quite upsetting how vibrant and full of life it is compared to Drogheda, where Scotch Hall stands as a relic to a foregone time. Seems the only times people go into SH are to get in and get out as quickly as possible. And it's not as if there's that big a difference in the selection of stores; certainly not as big a difference to signify the difference in numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I get Swords is a more affluent area. But the idea that Drogheda can't change because other towns are doing bad is one that frustrates me. I know I'm verging towards a rant, and not just about the replied to post, but it frustrates me how many young entrepreneurs and potential small business owners are driven out of the country, while a town like Drogheda has all these empty buildings and shops which are kept that way because greedy shop owners would rather the building stay empty than lower their rates.

In many ways, Drogheda would be perfect for a revival in terms of how many empty shops there are, how many unemployed people of all skill levels there are....I know that the banks don't have money to lend, but I feel it's a damn shame that the government don't try and take a few towns, make small business grants a bit more accessible, and use that money to fill the stores, create actual jobs and actually bring a bit of life back into the town

Don't get me wrong. I agree with you. I was just saying that the 3 reasons for the decline or lack of revival given by the other poster were far from unique to Drogheda and not reasons for the decline in Drogheda per say. High rates etc apply as much in towns that are being revived, or did not decline, as they are in towns not now thriving.
Your comments are perfectly valid. It was the definitive list of reasons for the position in Drogheda that I disagreed with.
I hope this makes sense!

Mickery

If the corporation decide the rates then it would seem like a no brainer that a drop in the rates could act as an incentive for investors and new businesses. There's plenty of room for expansion as there are so many empty units. This would hopefully make up for the drop in rates. Move first and attract the people out there who are looking to invest right now.