Cavan Town Council and CEB want new business

A motion brought forward at Cavan Town Council by Cllr. Des Cullen, setting an initiative to attract more businesses to Cavan town, got the green light from the other councillors last Monday night. The motion called for a partnership between the council and the County Enterprise Board, together with Cavan Chamber to prepare a prospectus on available office and retail units in the town, with a view to identifying gaps in services and attracting new business and employment. Cllr. Cullen said a cursory glance showed there are a number of office and retail properties that have been vacant since they were built, but there are many businesses attracting shoppers to the town and environs, and some well known names have located in Cavan in recent times. "There are locating here for a reason and I would suggest that it is because of the population base. Essentially my motion is designed to ascertain if there are voids in services in the town. Have people to go elsewhere for services - are there retail opportunities not being catered for at present in the town?" said Cllr. Cullen. He added that they should identify ways to promote the town to ensure all gaps in the retail offering are filled. "We want Cavan town to continue as a central location in this region," he said. Cllr. Terry Argue said there will have to be an emphasis on rejuvenating the centre of Cavan in the years ahead. "I think it will be developer driven and the opening of the M3 will also help to bring a renewed impetus to the area," he said. He urged that they tap into the great resource of Cavan people who have done well abroad, and may well be in a position to assist the county to develop further in a variety of ways, including starting small industry. Cllr. Paddy O'Reilly said business people are suffering as a result of the downturn in the economy, but they are hanging in there in the hope that things will improve. There are now essentially two towns in Cavan, and there are not equal playing pitches for both, he said. There are parking charges in the town centre, while out the Dublin road in the retail parks, there are none. "It is a deterrent to people wishing to come in and shop in the town," said the councillor. He agreed with the sentiments of the motion and hoped that vacant premises would be filled with concerted marketing. Cllr. Paddy Conaty said some premises were doing well and others badly, and in some instances rents are inclined to be too high. It seemed unfair to him that premises should be established outside the town without parking charges - unfair on businesses that operate in the town, which are paying higher rates in most instances. He would also like to see Killykeen regenerated and a tourist product on offer that would incorporate the river right up to Enniskillen, involving the councils in Cavan and Fermanagh. The old Abbey site in the centre of Cavan town should also be developed into a small open museum, he suggested. Cllr. Patrick Sexton said Cavan was a hub in the spatial strategy but had little benefit from that so far. He called for a meeting with Minister for Enterprise Batt O'Keeffe, so councillors could explain their case first hand. The M3 would benefit the town and they should look for more big games in Breffni Park, to bring additional people into Cavan. He would also pursue a rail link to Cavan town, he added. Cllr. Patricia Walsh said it was an appropriate time to be bringing forward the motion. She pointed out that a lot of businesses in the town have closed this new year, a trend she described as "frightening". She agreed with the need to identify gaps in existing services and attract new businesses to fill them. She urged that buildings not be left lying idle for too long, as they become derelict. Cllr. Jackie Lewis said a bus-load of tourists came to Cavan on Monday and went in around the old abbey site. She was aware that a number of other businesses were closing down and she fully supported the motion. Council chairman Cllr. Andrew Boylan said he asked a successful business why it had decided to locate in Cavan town, and heard that it had carried out surveys in a number of towns, and Cavan came out on top for business. It has now been there for six months and is content with the business it is generating. The town manager Ger Finn said his colleague, county manager Jack Keyes, had revealed that an economic development study being carried out at present is nearing completion. The consultants' brief was to identify what is unique about Cavan. Mr. Finn gave an undertaking that the inherent objectives of the motion would be pursued. Cllr. Boylan sent good wishes to the Quinn Group, that it will be successful in its deliberations. It would be a tragedy if the vultures were allowed to come in and take the best bits of the business, he said.