Youghal council supports call for 50% rents and rates reductions to boost enterprise.
By Christy Parker

Youghal Town Council’s May meeting unanimously supported a motion calling for a 50% reduction in retail rents for new businesses across a two-year time span, in return for an equivalent rates reduction by the council. The motion was tabled by Cllr Tommy O’Connell.

Cllr O’Connell said he had recently investigated complaints from two developers that high rates were causing economic stagnation. “I found that the rates they were paying weekly were derisory and wouldn’t amount to a decent night out!,” he stated. It is understood that the rates figures in question were €18 and €30.

The councillor said he’d “be the first to condemn the council if I thought rates were the problem. But they are not.  Its exorbitant rents that are killing the town centre, where about eight people own 90% of the property on the main street. This needs to go out strongly from this chamber.”

Cllr O’Connell cited a businessman who claimed he had to close up after his landlord declined to reduce his rent by €100, from €400 per week. The property remains empty, he said. “This landlord must have ignored the old maxim that ‘half a loaf is better than no loaf at all,’” he observed. “These landlords can see the town centre dying before their eyes. I ask them to show decency and civic pride and give new businesses breathing space, instead of holding a dog-in-the-manger attitude. I’m sure a lot of people with ideas would start a business and hopefully build it up over two years.”

 

Cllr Liam Burke, who seconded the motion, said anecdotal stories of high rents in Youghal had long circulated. “I was amazed recently to read that €55,000 annual rent was being sought by the owners of Merrick’s. It’s hard to envisage that in these times.”

Youghal town clerk Liam Ryan welcomed Cllr O’Connell’s initiative. He said the scheme “is not effectively about could rates levies or valuation. Bills would be issued as previously but the manager has discretion at year end to strike off rates based on hardship grounds and on individual cases.  That’s how it could be done.”

Mr Ryan said empty properties were not generating any rates or income to Youghal Town Council and were a drain on it. “This integrated scheme would generate income for both the landlord and the local authority,” he urged. “A vacant property would be occupied and a better retail landscape would emerge on the main streets. But it does require the Chamber of Commerce and the retail sector to come on board and grasp the opportunity in conjunction with the town council.”

Town Manager Patricia Power believed “Youghal Town Council has been very supportive of landlords and there has been no commercial rates increase over past three years. We also provided the painting initiative. The council cannot carry the blame unfairly. And I fully support Cllr O’Connell’s idea.”

Cllr Sammy Revins believed it was time the council was seen to welcome new businesses to town. He said he recently heard that Cork City Council had provided a new retailer with two years rate free on condition that three jobs were created. He advocated a public meeting be convened to expose the reality of the issues involved.

Cllr Barbara Murray said that it was not the council’s remit to dictate to any group as what they can or cannot do, “but we can certainly urge them to have a bit of civic pride,” she agreed. Broadening the issue somewhat, she noted that Minister for Local Government Phil Hogan had intimated dealing with such issues as inheritance of rate defaults and also giving local authorities more flexibility in implementing wavering schemes, etc.” Councils don’t have enough flexibility at present,” she stated. “Cork County Council finds that those with difficulties are those paying up to €3,000 per year, while the big businesses, such as ESB, Telecom, Tescos, etc., have no problem.”

It was agreed to forward the proposal to Youghal Chamber of Commerce and to non-aligned retailers for consideration. Pending the response, the council may convene a public forum to discuss the issue transparently.

Newly elected chairwoman of Youghal Chamber of Commerce, Mary O’Donnell, said she that she had not yet studied the proposal, it “sounds interesting.” She said she would be raising it with her members.

County Council Seeks Investors For Youghal Marina. – By Christy Parker

YOUGHAL’S lengthy dream of a marina has ebbed a step closer with Cork County Council’s decision to offer 10 acres of land at the Slob Bank for lease or sale. The local authority invited tenders for the project in a notice in last Friday’s (April 22nd 2011) through the Irish Examiner.

The notice further encourages the provision of ancillary developments, including “a 150-200 bed hotel, with sea views and with conference, leisure and health resort facilities,” along with “a substantial area of high quality, public accessible amenity space” and “integrated urban spaces.”

For Youghal Town and Cork County Councillor Barbara Murray the news brings several years of effort and consultation to a milestone. The councillor has been quietly if persistently working with Cork County Council officials towards advancing the project and her initiative. The council adopted her initiative to offer prospective investors the option to lease rather than buy the land and this exercise in lateral thinking may now reap a revolutionary benefit for her town.

The councillor reveals that “there has already been strong interest from two quarters and who knows what other parties may now also decide to take an interest?”  Submissions close on June 10th.

Options and optimism

Interestingly, it is understood that the two considerations to date offer contrasting options, with one party envisaging a marina constructed outside the bank, while the second project suggests flooding the slob interior and building an enclosed marina. It is believed that either structure could accommodate up to 200 berths.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction in the town is one of contained hope and seeping optimism. Chamber of Commerce director Michael Farrell is quoted as saying that the site, close to Tesco and Lidl, is ideally suited and located, with “plenty of room for a large car park and ancillary services.” He adds that the recessionary price of land provides an added incentive for investors and envisages that a marina “would be worth millions of euro to Youghal.”

 

Youghal mayor Mary Linehan-Foley says the development is “very, very welcome” and hopes that in due course unsustainable objections will not be forthcoming. “As a council we are thrilled with this and I would wish to reassure potential investors that if there is anything we can do to help them they need only ask,” she adds.

There is a general, if reluctant acceptance in Youghal nowadays that some industrial benefactor arriving in town to solve its stark unemployment and retail problems is remote for the foreseeable future, if ever.  By consequence, the need to develop long-term self-sustainment by nurturing the town’s rich tourism and heritage potential is acquiring a growing focus. The presence of a marina would boost that aspiration a hundred fold. The light at the end of the tunnel would seem to be hope at the end of the harbour, it seems.

The Irish Times – Saturday, April 23, 2011
CARL O’BRIEN

YOUGHAL HAS moved a step closer to obtaining a long-awaited marina following Cork County Council’s decision to invite tenders to develop a hotel and berthing area for boats in the town.

The local authority is investigating the possibility of either selling or leasing publicly owned land a short distance from the town centre to facilitate a new development.

A marina has long been regarded as a key development in breathing new life into the town and helping to fulfil its tourism potential. However, there has been little progress on the issue over the past two decades or more.

Informed sources say that at least two developers have already expressed interest in developing a hotel and conference centre, along with a marina, at the site.

The town’s development plan aims for a 150- to 200-bed hotel in the area, along with a conference centre and leisure resort. The development should also include a marina in the area west of the sea wall known as the “slob bank”.

The council says tenders to develop the site should comply with this development plan and contain details of developers’ financial status and ability to deliver the proposed project.

Local Fine Gael councillor Barbara Murray yesterday said the move was a very positive development for the town.

Info: Carl O’Brien/The Irish Times – Saturday, April 23, 2011

 

Maps Info: http://www.plm.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=40:plm-projects&id=78:youghal-marina&Itemid=85

A beautiful sunset last evening (Sunday 29th August 2010) over Youghal Bay finally drew a fitting curtain over an exciting day of powerboat racing in the East Cork town. Returning to Cork waters for the first time in many years this year’s ISA National Powerboat Championship is proving to be a huge success with intense competition across all classes and superb excitement for spectators.
Photos: Ger Leahy

With the waters directly off the quays in Youghal roaring to the sound of 14 race engines, the quays were equally buzzing with the chatter of keen spectators enjoying this unique blend of water, noise, bravery and spectacle.

Although only in it’s first year, this was Youghal Bay Boat Club’s second hosting of a round of the National Championships – the first being in Ardmore back in July. In Ardmore it was the P750 (Thundercat) classes that provided the excitement, this time out the entire national powerboat racing fleet came to party.

The weekend of maritime activities had begun the previous day with local marine training centre Aquatrek hosting the Munster Final of the Yachtsman Euromarine Rib Challenge and Youghal Bay Boat Club hosting their Commodore’s Cup and a thrilling aerobatics display by Gerry Humphries (and his wonderfully daft flying cow!) in the skies above Youghal. With two new ribs up for grabs in the national finals of the Rib Challenge, competition was naturally keen. Challenges were spread across land-based skills, questions and tasks – while on the water crews were tasked with a variety of tests. When the dust settled, the teams going through to the national final were announced as:

Seniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Youghal Bay Boat Club
3rd – Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Juniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club
3rd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club

Sunday morning arrived with a car-park full of very strange machines for the people of Youghal to wonder about – it’s not every day you see a van with what looks like a little jet plane parked on its roof. With crews and boats from the four corners of Ireland filling out the car park the excitement grew from early morning until the first boats hit the water just after noon to begin a long day of hot action. Under blue skies and mostly clear water the afternoon was filled with twelve races in total. Community Radio Youghal were on hand to provide informative commentary and fill the time between races with music and banter. With this being the penultimate round of the national championships the racing was always expected to be intense, and the crews didn’t disappoint. Turn after turn, race after race, the crowds were treated to top-notch racing directly in front of the town’s quays. The big F2′s rocketing past at 100 miles an hour throwing huge plumes of water into the skies, the little P750 (Thundercats) throwing their boats and crews into impossible turns just inches apart from one another, and the T850 monohulls buzzing, skimming and often flying across the water.

For Youghal Bay Boat Club this was the first year in the build towards a major annual Maritime Festival, and it proved to be a satisfying success. For the spectators it was another opportunity to enjoy the wonderful spectacle which the waters of Youghal can provide. For the competitors it was an opportunity to showcase their sport and battle hard for championship points.

At the end of a long and exciting day the honours went to the following:

T850 Class
1st: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
2nd: Megan Anderson (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
3rd: Philip Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 2 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Liam Ralph (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 4 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Phil Boyle (Irish Powerboat Club)

P750 (Thundercats)
1st: Sean Dillon & Gary Hogg (Irish Offshore Powerboat Racing Club)
2nd: Colin Snow & Conor Mullally (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Ronan O’Connor & Fionn Little (Youghal Bay Boat Club)

For further information please contact Aidan Foley (Club PRO) on 086 0401368

The people of Youghal received the news today (Sat. 13th Mar. 2010) that the go ahead has been given to build a marina in the town. The 56 berth marina will be located beside Buttimers Dock in the heart of the town and is hoped to put Youghal on the map where boating is concerned. Photo: Michael Hussey Youghalonline.com

Up until now there has only been 2 visitor moorings complements of local sailing school Aquatrek. Although still in the planning stages, it is hoped that the building of the marina will commence in the coming months and completion is expected by early next year.
The man behind the marina is local developer Jerry Dennehy, and he is delighted to be bringing such a development to the town ‘Youghal deserves to be seen as a fantastic place to visit and by building this marina I hope to boost the profile of the town to both foreign and Irish boat owners alike’.

After spending much of his years living in Australia Mr.Dennehy has come home with a fresh pair of eyes and the drive to make Youghal a “must stop spot” on the tourist map, saying ‘We have a beautiful town with everything a tourist could need, all we need to do is let people know we are here’.

Those interested in obtaining a berth can do so emailing blackwatermarina@gmail.com or phone 0877526370

by: Christy Parker

As Independent Town Councillor Olly Casey declares he won’t contest the 2009 local elections, Christy Parker sought a quick word before he goes…

“Its time for fresh blood to come in,” appraises Cllr Casey, “and besides, I’ll be 67 and I need more time for myself now.” Fifteen years ago, Olly ignored the cynical appraisal of a town clerk that “idealists don’t get elected” to contest and win a place on the town’s council. He has subsequently been twice re-elected, served two terms as Mayor/Chairman and rejected the overtures of Fianna Fail. “I’ve always preferred to be an individual,” he surmises with delightful understatement.

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