New businesses

PARlance

Westernyelp wrote: »

did the council not sell it for 950,000 or something similar?

No they still have it, fairly sure. They announced exciting potential plans were around the corner last year afaik.

Westernyelp

PARlance wrote:

No they still have it, fairly sure. They announced exciting potential plans were around the corner last year afaik.

I await them with bated breath

Castlebar12

Kfc & the new costa got planning permission

Dudda

De Burca Butcher on main street is to close. Real shame as its one shop who put a lot of effort into their appearance and shopfront. Instead now it's going to be another closed premises although I've partly myself to blame as I purchase all my meat in the supermarket with the main weekly shop.

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/01/29/4168472-castlebar-butcher-shop-announces-its-decision-to-close/

Lukekul

A real shame, you could really tell they took pride in their craft, trying things other butchers wouldn't. Supplied local restaurants too.

At least it'll make room for another badly needed charity shop / hairdressers / e cig shop / euro shop on main street.

Xenji

A real shame, I usually got in at least 3 times a week, great service as well.

Gamestop probably will be the next to close, the company is in total free fall at the moment.

nuac

De Búrcas - good family business. Sad to see it close

ureds

Lukekul wrote: »

At least it'll make room for another badly needed charity shop / hairdressers / e cig shop / euro shop on main street.

Unfortunately probably true.

Bogfairy

Cafe at lannagh road recieved notification of decision to grant this week

File from Mayo Planning Viewer - Elevations:

Castlebar12

Bogfairy wrote: »

Cafe at lannagh road recieved notification of decision to grant this week

File from Mayo Planning Viewer - Elevations:

Good news. Looks like a nice building

nuac

Interesting design from a good firm of architects

Thou

While it's good to see developments taking place around the town, can't help but feel it will add further to the decline of the traditional center. It's becoming less and less attractive for people as place to shop or spend time in, for example would DeBurcas have survived if it was located near one of the newer shopping areas? Thats assuming the reason for it's decision to close, was due to low footfall.

While the demise of Main St and even Linenhall St now, are as a result of many contributing factors. i.e. poor planning, high rates, lack of colloboration between local authority, various groups and small businesses, throw in the economic downturn etc. It has been the perfect storm.

Another part of the problem in Castlebar seems to have been a lack of a clear plan for the town or the creation of a defined identity for the place. Apart from being a decent destination for some brand name retailers, and being the services center of the county. It has fallen as an entertainment destination for visitors. It seems there's never been a set unified or collective movement (at least in modern times), where all groups pull together for the overall betterment of the town, a real shame, as the area has alot of potential.

Lukekul

Yeah Westport has a clear plan in place where they're have cultivated local businesses along the two/three main streets.

nuac

Lukekul wrote: »

Yeah Westport has a clear plan in place where they're have cultivated local businesses along the two/three main streets.

Westport Town Council did try to keep shopping on or close to main streets ( Shop Street and Bridge Street mainly ) mainly by
1. Providing parking convenient to those streets

2 Enjcouraging incoming retailers to set up as close as possible to existing shopping areas

2.1 Dunnes ( lately on Castlebar St ) was an example of that. I understand Dunnes had hoped to acquire some of the old Bank of Ireland property but it became clear that a Dunnes' frontage on the NOrth Mall would not be allowed

2.2 One of the major German retailers was encouraged to redevelope part of the old Westport Textiles building and is thus close to the town centre.

2.3 Out at the Quay the Hoban Supermarket is a good infill development, as is their more recent branch at Altamount Street/Fairgreen

2.4 The Tesco etc development on Altamount Street, replacing several factory sites is a bit away from the traditional shopping areas, but it does link the town to the railway station.

Planning: Westport was fortunate in that it had a progressive Town Council, led by Peter Hynes, then Director of Services. It was the smallest Urban Area to appoint an Architect, Simon Wall. Alas the Town Council is no more.

Thou

Westport is obviously a magnificent town by any standards, I'm aware of the work Simon Wall as Architect did prior to the building boom as part of the council led plan. It's clearly worked as part of Westports success, as you highlight they've been able to manage where certain retailers can and cannot locate and it has proved sustainable in the long run, making it a vibrant attractive place.

I think Castlebar lives in Westport's shadow in this regard as in they're constantly being compared to each other, by Castlebar people at least, it's proximity to Westport in many ways has contributed to it's social decline.

And it's as if the town for the most part decided we can't compete with Westport. Instead of seeing it create it's own niche and brand.

I know alot has changed at a governmental level but would be great to see some incentive within council to direct positive change in the county town.
With clear vision and planned approach, rather than alot of the adhoc development we're used to seeing.
Rather than bemoan what our neighbouring town has and Castlebar does not, we should be borrowing a few ideas from them.

Lukekul

Oh I absolutely agree, I'm not giving out about westport at all I really wish castlebar could learn from them and improve but it really does feel like a losing battle at the minute.

PARlance

Funny to see Westport being lauded for great shopping initiatives/planning when an awful lot of Westport people see Castlebar as the place to shop. My own relations travel over every week because there are much more options and it's far more convenient in Castlebar.

Too much has been made of Westports great planning imo.

1. Westport is a tourism town. It's streets buck the trend of decline (as experienced in most towns across the Country), largely due to this.
2. German retailers, Dunnes etc were "encouraged" to set up in town because Westport doesn't have the development potential surrounding it. Castlebar has/had that space and space is what retailers and customers want.

I had to laugh at Dunnes Westport being put forward as some kind of planning success. Terrible location and it failed.

The main streets of Westport aren't suffering the decline that Castlebar and most other town's main streets are suffering because tourism is keeping Westport's streets alive. No magic wand was raised by the planners.

Westport is great to grab a coffee, a bite to eat, a pint, a room for the night or to pick up an Aran jumper. It's not a "shopping success" as most people, including many from Westport, see it.

irishgeo

PARlance wrote: »

Funny to see Westport being lauded for great shopping initiatives/planning when an awful lot of Westport people see Castlebar as the place to shop. My own relations travel over every week because there are much more options and it's far more convenient in Castlebar.

Too much has been made of Westports great planning imo.

1. Westport is a tourism town. It's streets buck the trend of decline (as experienced in most towns across the Country), largely due to this.
2. German retailers, Dunnes etc were "encouraged" to set up in town because Westport doesn't have the development potential surrounding it. Castlebar has/had that space and space is what retailers and customers want.

I had to laugh at Dunnes Westport being put forward as some kind of planning success. Terrible location and it failed.

The main streets of Westport aren't suffering the decline that Castlebar and most other town's main streets are suffering because tourism is keeping Westport's streets alive. No magic wand was raised by the planners.

Westport is great to grab a coffee, a bite to eat, a pint, a room for the night or to pick up an Aran jumper. It's not a "shopping success" as most people, including many from Westport, see it.

You can see its a tourist town by comparison of footfall in winter and summer. Sreets of westport are quiet in winter.

Lukekul

I think a lot of castlebars problem is the spread of the town, it has constantly moved outwards. There is also very little housing close to the middle of town which is part of the reason the nightlife has died a death. And of course the absolute refusal of publicans to change things up at all

Xenji

For the first time I really took notice of an increased anti social element in Castlebar around the old boxing club, the Humbet alley and on Main Street over December and into January, it seems to have settled down though since the school's have started back though as it was all teenagers, but still somewhat disappointing to see.

Large groups especially around the old boxing club seemed to be the biggest issue as the area has very poor lighting when the Foróige service was closed over Christmas which provides extra lighting when operating.

Xenji

As per the Connaught, Meissner to create 150 jobs in Castlebar over the next 5 years.

MEISSNER Filtration Products has announced this morning (Friday) that it will expand its manufacturing operations by establishing a facility in Mayo, creating upwards of 150 jobs over the next five years.

In order to be operational in Q1 2020, Meissner will take advantage of a brand new existing 34,000 ft2 Advanced Technology Building constructed by the IDA in Castlebar, expanding it to 100,000 ft2.

Meissner has also purchased the adjacent land in order to be able to more than triple the facility’s current footprint.

Westernyelp

Xenji wrote:

As per the Connaught, Meissner to create 150 jobs in Castlebar over the next 5 years.

So they will triple the size of the building? That's impressive. Wonder is that planned before the move in or over the 5 years

PARlance

The politicians are all over that announcement today! Q1 2020 seems to be the date for any jobs, Cyril jumped the gun when he said early 2019 it seems.

ethical

Hope its not the usual sh1t announcement........very easy to "announce" countless jobs for a time far far away.......and then a row back on it when the time comes.......and still praising Enda for it.........same as the "announcement" of the Sacred Heart hospital which was "re launched" numerous times before it actually happened but in fairness this did happen after a long long time.Hope this new announcement will come to fruition rather quickly before we loose another generation to England,Austrailia and Canada.

yop

I know I should be jumping with joy but we remember this??
The same people still around making the same announcements.
Third time lucky isn't it?

Anyway, lets hope, but neither FF or FG have delivered any significant announcements into Castlebar

150 jobs Annouced

150 Jobs Closed

And this:
250 jobs announced/

250 jobs closed

PARlance

Fingers crossed, this announcement seems a bit more real than others. They've also bought land adjoining to the existing IDA building so that seems like a strong signal.

irishgeo

PARlance wrote: »

Fingers crossed, this announcement seems a bit more real than others. They've also bought land adjoining to the existing IDA building so that seems like a strong signal.

the vertical garden company bought the old caseys building too.

the have started recruitment for a site lead, although northgate got this far too.

https://www.collinsmcnicholas.ie/meissner/

PARlance

irishgeo wrote: »

the vertical garden company bought the old caseys building too.

the have started recruitment for a site lead, although northgate got this far too.

https://www.collinsmcnicholas.ie/meissner/

True, I'm more hopeful with this one but wasn't in town for the others. The IDA weren't involved in the others?

Westernyelp

PARlance wrote:

True, I'm more hopeful with this one but wasn't in town for the others. The IDA weren't involved in the others?

No. In fact The IDA made a point of denying any involvement with open sparx or whatever it was called.

Xenji

I do not really see the announcement fully benefiting Castlebar if it does come to fruition, the jobs are described as high end and they hope this will provide an increase of 10-20 million to the local economy according to Wilson Bird, but of course not stating over how many years.

Firstly I cannot see how that figure could be true if it will take 5 years to get to the 150 staff and secondly because these jobs are meant to be high end I would assume they would have a shortcoming of locals but instead more commuters or people relocating, if relocating housing or renting would be an issue, also as has been discussed in the last page or two Castlebar would not be the most desirable destination.