Two long standing Tipp Town stores to close

Photo © Tipp FM

A community activist says it’s a sad day for Tipp Town as two more businesses on the Main Street are to close.

Wellworths and Kingston’s have both announced they are shutting down causing much disappointment in the town.

Martin Quinn says the main issue is the lack of footfall in the town centre caused by the traffic congestion and inability for people to stop and shop.

He says that while the Task Force is doing work to improve the aesthetic of Tipperary Town there needs to be industry and jobs brought in.

“We need to look at bringing further development into the town, small industry is a key thing for Tipperary. We are probably never going to be in a situation where we have few hundred jobs coming in in one burst. But, we need to look and hope that smaller industry might bring in maybe 50 or 100 jobs, bring further development into the town.”

Martin also feels that the growth of business on the outskirts of the town has a role to play, and while it is a positive to have people employed it draws the business away from the centre once again.

He told Tipp Today that the use of vacant buildings for housing is welcome but the ‘bread and butter issues’ are being neglected such as job creation.

I think that it’s very important that where there are buildings that are vacant that they be made available for use, like you look at the old glove factory I mean there will be apartments. I think we need to welcome all of those but you do need to have footfall and you do need to have businesses along there on the main street, the town centre is very important.”