Councillor calls future of Bedford Row into question

MAYOR John Moran was quizzed about his plans to bring business, shops, and vibrancy back to Bedford Row. With diesel...

MAYOR John Moran was quizzed about his plans to bring business, shops, and vibrancy back to Bedford Row.

With Diesel Limerick and Central Shoes this summer confirming the closure of their stores on Bedford Row, soon after the pedestrian street lost its branch of Dealz, Fianna Fáil councillor Catherine Slattery called for urgent action.

Cllr Slattery told the executive Mayor at September’s full meeting of Limerick Council that she wanted to see a proactive plan for replacing the businesses recently lost.

“Don’t wait for individual businesses or property owners to decide what happens next. What specifically are you going to do on Bedford Row? Who is responsible for delivering it, and when will we see the first measurable results?” she asked the Mayor.

In response to the City East representative, Moran said that he shared her concerns to see more businesses, more activity, and greater footfall in this part of the city.

“It will not have gone unnoticed to the councillor that the noticeable level of contiguous vacancy levels relate only to the premises in the ‘modern’ building on one side of the street and not on the other, suggesting that something specific to that building, and not the street, per se, is at play here,” he commented.

Mayor Moran also told Cllr Slattery that if there is a need for a standalone plan specifically for Bedford Row, it needed to be considered as part of the wider challenge of strengthening the city centre.

The preparation of a City Centre Retail Strategy, he maintained, will provide a more coordinated framework for strengthening the retail offering in the city, attracting investment, supporting existing businesses and responding to the changes taking place in the retail sector.

“I was here again 18 months ago with a question about the city centre. Personally, I can’t see anything has happened to promote initiatives and vibrancy,” Cllr Slattery concluded.