Building Shopping Centres outside of rural towns bad to the main town itself?

upncmnhistori

I am doing this as a follow up from the 'Town closing down' thread. I discovered that in my hometown of Athenry the town that has been there for years has two streets of nearly all unoccupied commerical businesses and things keep on closing. A few years ago a Joyces Shopping Centre was built on the outskirts of the town and a lot of people have moved with it. For different reasons
1. Free Parking
2. Price range cheaper than Centra
According to the 'Town Closing Down' thread the same thing has happened to Ballinrobe and Claremorris in Co. Mayo?
Other reasons that have been estabilshed was that Athenry had high rates in their buildings which people can not afford. Anyone notice the same thing about there town?

galwayrush

I remember Athenry used to have an incredible number of pubs, probably more than double what it has now, despite the town now being twice the size. Now days, there are restaurants, cafes in the town that were never there in the past. Also, the out of town shoping centres will attract people from a larger catchment area, they probably affect shops in more rural areas more.
Perhaps it's a case of moving with the times?,a natural progression?

On a side note, in the past, someone always double parked on the street or on a bad corner like in front of the pharmacy and made driving through the town a nightmare.

upncmnhistori

Still happends that odd time. There are two car parks soon to be one called Dennisons across from the New Park and one beside the G. A. A. pitch which is now being built.
I wonder are they going to get heavy with the traffic wardens on the parking front when the G. A. A. car park is built at Swangate.

I'm confused, how is the topic of this thread any different to your other thread.....about the same thing

Regardless, the points I made in your other thread still stand

Mrs OBumble

What's the alternative - not have a supermarket in the town, since it won't fit into the existing, historic-building, shops, and the narrow streets won't cope with the traffic?

Clever.

dnme

galwayrush wrote: »

Now days, there are restaurants, cafes in the town that were never there in the past.

You mean horrid fast food joints, Chinese, Supermacs, Subway etc that are taking over every town. Calling them cafes and restaurants adds a respectability that is not accurate.

We have to ask ourselves a question, do we want our towns to die? I personally highly value a local butcher, greengrocer etc. I give them my business. I also value most local small shops. They provide street variety, employ local people and make a town .... a town.

The parking issue is part of it too. Parking controls in a small town are probably counter productive.

At the end of the day, it's down to us. If we want our towns to survive, we have to do at least some of our shopping in our local small shops. They may be a little more expensive but they have a value way beyond 5c on a litre of milk. They are what makes out towns, what gives our towns their personality, character and culture. Once they're gone, they're gone pretty much forever. My old hometown of Roscrea, now has a Tesco in the middle of it that looks like it belongs in Sandyford. Way over-scale. Sad to see and one can only wonder at the planning process.

MadsL

dnme wrote: »

YSad to see and one can only wonder at the planning process.

When did you last make an observation? That's not aimed specifically at you but a comment about the planning process in the community, far too much apathy about getting involved.

upncmnhistori

dnme wrote: »

You mean horrid fast food joints, Chinese, Supermacs, Subway etc that are taking over every town. Calling them cafes and restaurants adds a respectability that is not accurate.

We have to ask ourselves a question, do we want our towns to die? I personally highly value a local butcher, greengrocer etc. I give them my business. I also value most local small shops. They provide street variety, employ local people and make a town .... a town.

The parking issue is part of it too. Parking controls in a small town are probably counter productive.

At the end of the day, it's down to us. If we want our towns to survive, we have to do at least some of our shopping in our local small shops. They may be a little more expensive but they have a value way beyond 5c on a litre of milk. They are what makes out towns, what gives our towns their personality, character and culture. Once they're gone, they're gone pretty much forever. My old hometown of Roscrea, now has a Tesco in the middle of it that looks like it belongs in Sandyford. Way over-scale. Sad to see and one can only wonder at the planning process.

Fair play to you - Athenry did have a chamber of commerce but it didn't last. To get people to support local. It had one ACOC in the 90's and then there was another one set up in 2010 but it didn't last. I do wish shops would drop there price a bit though. I have heard one story of a landlord who wouldn't drop the rent one of Athenry's cafe and they ended up going to Clarinbridge. There is at least 7 unoccupied commerical business on Northgate street where that cafe used to be.
I am suprised to hear Roscrea is like Athenry now? So far that is Athenry, Claremorris, Ballinrobe and now Roscrea?

Greaney

We're hoping to give Athenry a real shot in the Arm with our Christmas market. Some genuine thoughts gone and prep has gone into it and we've linked with the heritage centre so it's worth popping in for a look from Thur 13th till Sat 15th of December from 10am till 6pm. Local Caroler's 'n all!!:D