Council prefers benefit of Old Rail Trail to go to local firms

The council has come out against the possibility of so-called mobile coffee trailers or food vans operating on the Old Rail Trail greenway, saying that any benefits should go to established businesses in the villages and towns along the route.

That led to a divergence of views from councillors during a lengthy discussion at last week’s meeting of the Municipal District of Athlone Moate committee on an update of the casual trading byelaws, and ultimately a delay in proceeding with publishing any changes until an in-committee meeting next month.

Director of services Barry Kehoe said: “We have been receiving quite a few inquiries from people wishing to set up mobile coffee trailers and food trailers at various points throughout the district, particularly during Covid for fairly obvious reasons.

“People are interested in putting them in along the greenway but we are proposing not to facilitate that and the reason we’re proposing that approach is that we have quite a number of established businesses in the various villages in the county close to the greenway who are providing a valuable service on a year-round basis.

“We think it’s important that the benefits of the greenway for those businesses would go to them.”

The one area where there might be an exception is in Streamstown, which is more remote than other locations, he continued, and the planned coffee shop there is not complete.

“We are working to finish the facilities in Streamstown, to finish out the building if we can identify some funding. We have identified some funding to put in the necessary services, electricity, wastewater treatment and water.

“We hope to get the toilets finished by the end of this year in Streamstown, and with a fair wind by the end of the year, we may get some grant aid under one of the various schemes open to us to finish off the little coffee shop in the station building, which has already been renovated.”

While a mobile service would be welcome there in the short-term, Mr Kehoe said the council would in the long-term prefer to see a permanent facility in place available to the public on a year-round basis. He suggested that a time limited casual trading bay could be provided there until the permanent building comes into use.

On hearing of plans for a casual trading bay in Portlick to sell ice-cream or food, Cllr John Dolan said it was a prime location for such an offering. He agreed with the council stance on mobile coffee vans on the greenway, saying that “the greenway is looking to promote the towns on it and that’s only right” and the existing businesses are ratepayers.

“In fairness, you don’t want to be taking away from their business,” added Cllr Dolan.

Green Cllr Louise Heavin had the opposite view on the greenway, and explained that when you’re walking in many places between Athlone and Moate you’re not near any business. Her usual entry and exit points are in Mount Temple, which is a really busy spot for families but there are no businesses nearby.

“I just wonder who are the businesses, where are they looking to set up and maybe we could reconsider this. If they see a market for it, maybe there is, I’m not saying we should set up a bay in Moate or Athlone but Mount Temple could be a location or another place,” she said.

Along the canal greenway, there is a major stretch from Mullingar to Abbeyshrule where are no facilities for a cup of coffee, Cllr Johnnie Penrose pointed out, adding that he would like to see something that wouldn’t interfere with the other villages serving refreshments.

Cllr Vinny McCormack agreed “completely” with the council stance on the greenway, stressing that existing businesses need to be looked after. His Fianna Fáil colleague, Cllr Liam McDaniel, did not, however. He said a lot of people have been out of work and identified a business opportunity, and rather than putting down markers where they can and cannot go, the council should be encouraging them, especially if they are local.

Again there were differing views on hearing that where casual trading pitches are oversubscribed, existing businesses would get preferential treatment. Cllr Heavin said that should not be in place ruling out new traders. Instead, the council could apply preferential treatment to those with an environmental ethos. The mayor, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, proposed that the discussion of the casual trading byelaws be held at an in-committee meeting (not public) before any proposed changes go on display.