Castletown businesses 'need support of residents' during Market Square closure

Tony Brown, Richard Ronan and John Cringle say DoI decision means some will struggle

A group of former Castletown politicians say residents need to support the town's businesses during the festive season. 

John Cringle, Richard Ronan and Tony Brown claim a decision made by the infrastructure minister and the commissioners to close Market Square to cars will mean the traders will struggle during winter.

The commissioners has previously said it's 'committed' to 'balancing' the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors while 'fostering' a town centre that is functional and welcoming.

Mr Ronan says the DoI minister has let the local authority keep the square closed while it formulates a plan, but he believes it should've been the other way round.

Local Democracy Reporter Emma Draper has been speaking to Mr Cringle, Mr Ronan and Mr Brown:

In response, a spokesperson for Castletown Commissioners says:  “The board issued a statement yesterday outlining its position on the matter, and we now await formal correspondence from the Minister, it would be inappropriate to pre-empt this.

“All board members’ contact details are available on our website. They are approachable, well-known within the community, and attend regular board meetings, where members of the public are welcome to ask direct questions. 

“Recently, comments on social media have been restricted due to the vitriol largely driven by the individuals you reference, as well as by certain traditional media outlets. Anyone who has viewed the unmoderated discussions posted directly in the unmoderated Castletown chat group will recognise that it is far from an ideal representation of the town. Personally, I would rather focus my efforts on fulfilling my primary duties than moderating such discussions.

“We would fully concur that is important to emphasise that residents should shop locally during the festive season to support traders, many of whom may otherwise face challenges. However, as we all know, the issue surrounding the square remains divisive, and some individuals who support its closure have expressed feeling unwelcome in certain premises and sadly custom has likely been lost.”