'Businesses will suffer' says local trader
Castletown Commissioners will close the town's Market Square to traffic this summer.
The decision was made during Monday's sitting of the commission which had to be moved to a larger room to accommodate the audience.
In recent years half of the square has been closed to traffic through the summer - a scheme which has been well-supported by local businesses and residents alike.
So why is it changing?
Jamie Horton is the chair of the commissioners:
The original motion was to close the whole of the square to traffic for six months but an amendment, from commissioner Jimmy Cubbon, saw this reduced to four:
Although the amendment was carried with unanimous support from the board, local traders in attendance expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.
Business owner Chris says even weekend events held in the square have a significant impact on his takings:
With convenient parking being the major concern among businesses, commissioner Colin Leather explained what alternatives are available:
The closure is due to take place from Friday, 29 April until Tuesday, 6 September but how will the commission measure the success of the experiment?
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