DOWNPATRICK business owners are taking to the streets tomorrow to protest at the delay in completing an environmental improvement scheme which is hitting them in the pocket.
Work on a £700,000 road works project in Irish Street was due to complete at the end of March, but the Recorder recently revealed that it will be early July before all the work is finally completed.
Traders are furious that the scheme to provide new paving, street lighting, furniture and resurfacing will take more than twice as long to complete than originally planned and that they have not been kept informed of developments by the government department involved in the project.
All traders have been invited to a public meeting in Irish Street tomorrow at 2pm and while invitations have been extended to the Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland Water and Newry, Mourne and Down Council, it is understood that these organisations will not be in attendance.
Instead, roads officials will be involved in a hastily arranged meeting one hour earlier with local authority officials and members of a steering group comprising traders and Downpatrick councillors which was set up to oversee the public realm project which has been dogged by a series of setbacks.
Traders say while they have no issue with the men carrying out the work who have been accommodating at all times, there are other significant issues.
These include the design of the scheme which narrows Irish Street at the top, a loss of crucial parking spaces outside businesses and the failure of the pre-project survey to identify problems which have arisen with the ageing sewerage system and the foundations of the heavily fortified blast wall which used to surround the town’s former police base.
The Recorder understands that problems have also arisen redirecting underground electrical cables.
Traders are fearful that more more significant issues could arise when work starts to lay new granite paving on the other side of the street.
All businesses have reported a downturn in trade since work on the scheme got underway at the start of the year, with traders warning that it is not just those in Irish Street who are affected.
Mr Alan Oakes, of Plus 2 Print, said traders across the town have been hit by the work, pointing to a reduction in the number of people using the Irish Street car park.
He also contends that the sight of barriers and workmen in Irish Street is putting people off shopping in Downpatrick, with no guarantee that when the public realm scheme is completed that they will ever come back.
Mr Oakes said he had no choice but to call tomorrow’s public meeting to provide an opportunity for the business community to outline its concern, take a stand and send a clear message to those responsible for the scheme to ensure it is completed as soon as possible. He also said one business in Irish Street has already been forced to close.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch and while it would have been easy for me to sit back as the work outside my business has been completed, we are all in this together and deserve better, much better,” he said.
“There has been a lack of communication and if we didn’t ask for updates we would have been kept in the dark.
“While the work is taking place in Irish Street, it is having a negative impact on businesses right across the town. The public realm scheme is a good idea, but we never thought for one minute that it would take this long and impact so heavily on trade.
“We also believe that such a lengthy delay would not have been allowed in other major towns with resources committed to complete the work as soon as possible.”
Mr Oakes, who has invited politicians to attend tomorrow’s meeting, said deliveries have been disrupted to a number of businesses with fears that shopping patterns have been irrevocably reversed as a result of the major delay in completing the work.
He added: “Irish Street has been left crippled by this scheme which is impacting on all traders and indeed those who live at this part of their town. Tomorrow’s meeting is about seeking clarity about the progress of the scheme and an update on when it will eventually be completed.
“No one ever thought it would take this long and there are fears that the work could continue right through the summer.
“We need to be provided with regular updates on progress. To date, we have had to find out the information for ourselves which is not the way it should be. Irish Street traders deserve better.”
Downpatrick councillor Oonagh Hanlon is urging council chiefs to explore the possibility of launching an economic revitalisation scheme for the town.
She added: “Unfortunately, there have been a number of prolonged delays to the Irish Street public realm works which has had a negative impact on traders, with many people avoiding the area due to the increased congestion and traffic flow confusion, in tandem with noise and disruption associated with the work.”