Retailers to hold 'round table' talks to stop shutters coming down

Rodney Edwards • Published 5 Aug 2010 16:30 0 Comments

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May Wylie outside her “Everyday Needs” shop in Darling Street, Enniskillen.

ENTERPRISE Minister Arlene Foster is to call an urgent round table meeting with Enniskillen traders next week to discuss their growing concerns.

The DUP MLA says she is "deeply concerned" following reports that one shop is closing down in Fermanagh every single week.

"I will be looking into that. It's vital that the town centre has a heart, not just for commerce but for tourism. It's important that we have local shops open for visitors when they come because the one thing that puts you off is derelict buildings," she said.

With more and more businesses closing down across the county, traders here are demanding that politicians like Mrs. Foster offer some immediate assistance and 'deliver'.

"The traders should find that throughout my time as MLA, never mind as Minister, I am ready and willing to help them if they come to me with a particular issue or problem. But there has to be an element of self-help too.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again; it disappoints me that Enniskillen does not have a Chamber of Commerce. Lisnaskea has a very effective Chamber of Commerce and Irvinestown has one as well. Enniskillen for whatever reason, doesn't have one and I think the town suffers as a result," she said.

Mrs. Foster has now given her word to traders that she'll try to help as Enterprise Minister: "OK, let's bring this forward. Let's have a round table meeting to discuss the issues the town is facing at the minute. I am more than happy to facilitate such a discussion. Right now is a good time to focus on the problems. Let's look at the issues, let's talk to the local traders and see what more we could be doing," she said.

The dismay of shop owners here has resulted in the creation of the new town traders group, whose members include Jonathan Styles, Desi Quinn, Bryan Graham and Sylvia Stevenson.

Mrs. Foster is encouraging them and other local business people to meet her.

"Now we must make contact with each individual business and get everyone together. I would invite other business owners who are interested in taking part in the discussion to get in touch with me as well. Together we will look at all of the issues affecting Enniskillen," she said.

Local businessman Desi Quinn welcomes Mrs. Foster's proposal: "Anything that helps us is important and Arlene is best placed to offer advice like this. She's reaching out to the bread and butter, average, family run businesses and that's vital. It's essential that we do all we can to keep our ordinary shops on our streets. Customers need to see lights on, they need to see shops open," he said.

While Mr. Quinn admitted it was 'easy to be negative' about the current situation, he believes the community needs to remain positive.

"We just need to do a little bit here and there to improve things, but we need to do it as a town. We must come together. Now would be the time to resurrect the Chamber of Commerce. There has to be something formed to some degree to promote the town, to go the councils, to discuss the issues. Enniskillen should be setting an example," he said.

Darling Street trader May Wylie has revealed she was ready to shut down her 'Everyday Needs' shop for good this year: "Only I got a reduction in my rates bill I was about to pull the plug on my business; I was ready to pack it in. I get no help from anyone, it's just me and me alone. It takes me an hour's sweat in the morning putting everything out and the same in the evening. There's not as many people coming up the street now as there used to be. Darling Street is a very quiet street anyway, it's always been quiet. There's a lot of shops lying empty here. For this end of the town the rent and the rates are still pretty high, so who wants to have a business this end of the town if there's not a steady stream of customers?" she asked.

Enniskillen Councillor Alison Brimstone says the formation of a Chamber of Commerce "should be considered" in order to provide "a single voice for the traders of Enniskillen".

Fearghal McKinney, SDLP, said: "We need to start asking ourselves questions about how the whole region can be developed to try to get ourselves collectively out of the difficulty we find ourselves in. It is the economy and new ways of thinking around the economy in terms of communication and infrastructure that hopefully will help ease us out of the situation, particularly creative thinking about cross-Border and regional development," he said.

Mrs. Foster's round table meeting with traders will take place next week and will include a representative from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 05 Aug 10

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