And another place closes down.

thomasm

http://www.waterford-news.ie/2012/10/04/empty-shops-tell-ahorrifying-tale/

Video is referenced in News and Star this week

Sully

lee3155 wrote: »

Sully wrote: »

Removed posts stating a business has gone under as there is currently no proof. Whilemorning re closed, they do not appear to be 'cleared out'. There is considerable reporting on this on Facebook but none by media (and the media I asked, were unaware). Sorry!

Hey Sully,

Sorry about that. But Tramore Tourism have released a statement on their Facebook Page about it, is that a credible enough source to allow us talk about it? Thanks!

Im not sure when they released a statement but the time I posted I was unable to confirm it. When I was interviewed about it the next morning on WLR it was still not officially confirmed and until it was neither of us would name the businesses. Later that morning it was confirmed so discussion resumed in the County Forum and is still being discussed. I immediately released a statement as it was now official.

The only source that is reliable would be media. They got a statement confirming the receivership around 11am Thursday and this allowed us discuss it properly.

Its normal Boards.ie Procedure regarding this to avoid damaging the business or owners reputation if it turns out to be false (a lot of what was being said was indeed false). The same procedure was taken by local media

SweetCaliber

Sully wrote: »

Im not sure when they released a statement but the time I posted I was unable to confirm it. When I was interviewed about it the next morning on WLR it was still not officially confirmed and until it was neither of us would name the businesses. Later that morning it was confirmed so discussion resumed in the County Forum and is still being discussed. I immediately released a statement as it was now official.

The only source that is reliable would be media. They got a statement confirming the receivership around 11am Thursday and this allowed us discuss it properly.

Its normal Boards.ie Procedure regarding this to avoid damaging the business or owners reputation if it turns out to be false (a lot of what was being said was indeed false). The same procedure was taken by local media

Sorry Sully you misunderstood me. I Meant to say that they only released the statement the other day so was it okay to post about it now?

Basically I was saying is it okay to post about it now that they have released the statement.

Sorry!

stefan idiot jones

Silverado wrote: »

Why not introduce a Rates free zone for the Viking Triangle? If we can’t entice new industry to our city maybe we can entice more tourists by making it a more interesting place for them to visit. This would be helped by more shops and tourist related enterprises located in the Triangle.

If you walk around the Triangle it still has an aura of depression with locked up premises everywhere. Cathedral Square has its lovely new museum but it needs more tourist businesses to create activity. The same could be said for Bailey’s New St and the other streets in the vicinity.

There are far too many closed up shops and business premises in the area. Maybe now is the time to apply some lateral thinking.

Good suggestion, we have all been to places around the world that if you dare to go off the beaten track are absolute dives/dangerous/downright ugly. But to the naked observer (tourist with money and recomendations) they do exactly what it says on the tin. Obviously the problem in town huge, but if they could only start aggresively tidyingup/filling/masking/decorating the empty and disshevelled buildings in the viking triangle it would surely have a huge impact in the town. I am just a daft joiner but surely someone knows someone out there who has some inkling of a "blue sky thinking" idea that most of us can't come up with ?

cococoady

Heard this morning that the Carry Out off licence down beside Granville hotel is closing the end of the month.

spokesman

Sherwoods was a great store, got a lot in there and the staff were great to help/advise etc. The city centre is truly dead now,

Sully

lee3155 wrote: »

Sorry Sully you misunderstood me. I Meant to say that they only released the statement the other day so was it okay to post about it now?

Basically I was saying is it okay to post about it now that they have released the statement.

Sorry!

Sorry, yeah. I opened a discussion soon after it was confirmed but I really should have just removed the mod warning in here.

stefan idiot jones

alinton wrote: »

I gotta tell you, rates are a problem. Where my business is, the rates are nearly as much as the annual rent.

And we get nothing for that, except perhaps sewage disposal. Its a private estate so no street lights, refuse collection, pavement maintenance etc. We even have to pay water rates separately.

Still, I guess the City Council need those exorbitant rates to pay for more statues and hanging baskets, and resurfacing of roads that are already perfectly good.

As long as we have all this vanity, I guess they don't care that they're a major factor in driving businesses under.

A

A friend of my brother in law had a shop in Michael St a few doors up from The Wacky Apple which closed down partly because he was paying the same rates there as the shops in city square. The main difference is that most people drive into town and either park behind the old cinema, under city square or on the quay. Michael Street does not get anywhere near the footfall that other areas does yet they were and possibly still are getting charger top whack. Hardly seems fair does it ?

decies

Don't agree with that certainly before Gisselles closed down MICHAEL street had one of the better footfalls in the city often better than barronstrand st in fact .

stefan idiot jones

mmm, fair enough, but still surely you wouldn't be expected to be on the same levy than those with "prime" locations ? A fairer banding has to be introduced to make it attractive to trade in streets outside the main shopping centre ?

Ledger

cococoady wrote: »

Heard this morning that the Carry Out off licence down beside Granville hotel is closing the end of the month.

That's owned by The Granville.


It's not a Carry Out either, it's a Next Door.


I don't mean to be pedantic

1967

The Cleaboy pub was closed by receivers on Friday or Saturday.

2SWEET

Next Door beside the Granville gone since last week.

Trick of the Tail

When are the idiots in the City Council going to realise that their policies are killing the town?

They need to slash rates by 50%, cut car parking fees (ideally make parking free for 2 hours), scrap all anti-car policies.

They also need to reopen Barronstrand Street to one-way traffic, and stop wasting public money on vanity projects.

Its all very well making Waterford more attractive to tourists, but they won't come back if they see the town centre like a ghost-town, full of boarded-up buildings and cheap-rent shops.

And the economic benefit of tourism here is dubious anyway - very few people actually make any money out of it.

I fear it may be too late, and I also fear that the council is run by such a bunch of self-important wasters that they will continue with their destructive policies anyway.

A.

Deise Vu

alinton wrote: »

When are the idiots in the City Council going to realise that their policies are killing the town?

They need to slash rates by 50%, cut car parking fees (ideally make parking free for 2 hours), scrap all anti-car policies.

They also need to reopen Barronstrand Street to one-way traffic, and stop wasting public money on vanity projects.

Its all very well making Waterford more attractive to tourists, but they won't come back if they see the town centre like a ghost-town, full of boarded-up buildings and cheap-rent shops.

And the economic benefit of tourism here is dubious anyway - very few people actually make any money out of it.

I fear it may be too late, and I also fear that the council is run by such a bunch of self-important wasters that they will continue with their destructive policies anyway.

A.

I agree 100% on rates and car parking. It is hippie fascism thinking people will still come to places where council policies make driving a severe hassle. Then planning policy insists on City Centre retail but there's no problem with Kilkenny County Council or Waterford County Council sticking large retail space on the edge of town.

I would have to disagree with tourism though. If there is enough to do Waterford will start to be a destination for tourists to stay with spinoffs for restaurants, hotels, bars and shops. The Viking Triangle should be given a chance to get out there with the travel companies. You can't expect travel companies to advertise stuff that might not be available or might not be the attraction hoped for. At the moment they are bussing in and out again in a few hours (in ever larger numbers it seems). I agree that it no good, but I am optimistic it will change over time.

Ethan Edwards

alinton wrote: »

They also need to reopen Barronstrand Street to one-way traffic, and stop wasting public money on vanity projects.


A.

This can never ever be allowed to happen! Open up Barronstrand Street to traffic again and it will just be clogged up with dopes doubled parked or pulled in with the hazards flashing while they do a quick message! From The Clock Tower to H. Samuels is the best part of this then but every so often someone wants to go back to the 80's drive down to Egans park up and have a pint.

How will your one way traffic look in the middle of this winterval thing thats planned?

Sherwoods closed cause they were too expensive simple as that. The Carry Out next to the Granville closed because nobody went in there for their beer or wine or whatever. I work in town and havent bought anything in there in at least 2 years. Both these place had a road outside their doors and it didnt make any difference.

A road on Barronstrand street isnt going to happen anytime soon and never ever should!

Sorry for the first post rant .

libra02

2SWEET wrote: »

Next Door beside the Granville gone since last week.

Nope they open this morning and yesterdyas as I passed by and advertising a wine sale. So say they are still going probably until end or week or that to sell as much as they can.

cococoady

libra02 wrote: »

Nope they open this morning and yesterdyas as I passed by and advertising a wine sale. So say they are still going probably until end or week or that to sell as much as they can.

I know a lad working there. He said the end of the month it's gone.

Psychedelic

alinton wrote: »

When are the idiots in the City Council going to realise that their policies are killing the town?

They need to slash rates by 50%, cut car parking fees (ideally make parking free for 2 hours), scrap all anti-car policies.

Okay, so the Council cuts rates by 50% and thus €9m is gone from their income, and they cut parking so whatever losses that results in (tens/hundreds of thousands). A huge cut in the rates would attract new businesses to open up, but they are hardly going to make up the €9m loss.

So, how do you propose the Council covers that loss of income? They can only cut services or promotion of the city - I don't know but I doubt they could find over €9m in cuts they could make. My point is, you can't just say "cut rates and parking" without being able to suggest how - it's like Sinn Fein saying "burn the bondholders" or "let's default" yet can't say how when asked how the country's €16bn deficit could be covered.

I agree with you that rates should be cut, but the 50% you are suggesting is not realistic without proper reform of the rates system. And I would say that they should at least be trying to lower the rates slightly each year.

stefan idiot jones

Deise Vu wrote: »

I agree 100% on rates and car parking. It is hippie fascism thinking people will still come to places where council policies make driving a severe hassle. Then planning policy insists on City Centre retail but there's no problem with Kilkenny County Council or Waterford County Council sticking large retail space on the edge of town.

I would have to disagree with tourism though. If there is enough to do Waterford will start to be a destination for tourists to stay with spinoffs for restaurants, hotels, bars and shops. The Viking Triangle should be given a chance to get out there with the travel companies. You can't expect travel companies to advertise stuff that might not be available or might not be the attraction hoped for. At the moment they are bussing in and out again in a few hours (in ever larger numbers it seems). I agree that it no good, but I am optimistic it will change over time.

Where are they bussing in the tourist daytrippers from ? Is it Kilkenny ?

SubBusted

Would anyone know did the empty shop at 0:46 in the video sell musical instruments?

Trick of the Tail

Well they could stop paying their officers such enormous wages for a start.

They could also stop wasting money on vanity projects, and sack those who plan road schemes so badly that they have to be re-done several times.

They used to run the Corporation quite happily with no parking fees 30 years ago, I don't see why they can't now.

Its wastage and over-staffing that should be cut, not services.

And they should sack the traffic fascists in there, and instead concentrate their efforts on helping and encouraging businesses, instead of just viewing them as a target for raising revenue.

Rates are nothing more than a tax on businesses. Where I work, the rates are nearly as high as the yearly rent. For that we only get sewage disposal, since the premises is in a private estate. The water rates are about 100 euro, and since waste out is roughly equal to water in, I don't see why the rates should be 60 times that figure.

A.

stefan idiot jones

No that would be 1.21

jennygirl

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

Where are they bussing in the tourist daytrippers from ? Is it Kilkenny ?

WCC are targeting buses from international tour companies, the UK, at the moment Kilkenny is the venue of choice because of the castle. we need to shout louder about all our amenities, one of the best historic cities in ireland

Sully

jennygirl wrote: »

WCC are targeting buses from international tour companies, the UK, at the moment Kilkenny is the venue of choice because of the castle. we need to shout louder about all our amenities, one of the best historic cities in ireland

I'd like to see more done about the City Walls and Towers though. A lot of them are just left lie there when they could be put to better use.

Waterford has so much potential but its not being promoted right, not online anyway.

spankmemunkey

jennygirl wrote: »

were true - like Pound City these days - but where do u get quality shops from, that are not supported!
everyone wants M&S and similar, but we do not have a 20,000 sq ft shop in city centre. if m&S arrive, more will follow. the only solution is to CPO newgate st centre and get a builder with ball (Noel Fizby i think) to build it. if anyone objects, gag them for a few months!

Wouldnt be related to or work for Frisby would ye? Get building houses right and then we see

spankmemunkey

Rates do increase products prices, thats basic economics of business its a factor in costs no ifs buts or maybe's

Another problem is theres still so many shops competing for customers as a result of the boom time, Like Harvey Norman and the likes that entered the market this increased pressure on shops in town that are paying high rates, they can no longer compete,

Tesco does have a huge effect on peoples purchasing of electrical goods, people who buy in Tesco see some products and think ah sure that'll do plus im getting extra points on the purchase. We have 4 tesco shops in prime positions around the city.

One of the other factors are people dont really have the money to buy high end goods in electrical shops these days in the numbers they were say 3 or 4 years ago.

Media999

30 cent to use a dirty stinking tiny toilet. Pretty much sums up what a dump this town is.

Ive never in my life anywhere in the world paid to use a bathroom in a main shopping centre.

Professey Chin

Media999 wrote: »

30 cent to use a dirty stinking tiny toilet. Pretty much sums up what a dump this town is.

Ive never in my life anywhere in the world paid to use a bathroom in a main shopping centre.

St Stephens Green in Dublin is paid
Eyre Square in Galway is paid

Media999

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

St Stephens Green in Dublin is paid
Eyre Square in Galway is paid

Never used the toilets in either of them.

I think they are just slightly higher class than City square no?

Not that it justifies it. Im sure its just done in Stephens green to keep the junkies out. Waterford its just pure greed.