Mary Mooty

Do your support a rates reduction for Traders operating in Arklow and District and if so, what specifically will you to do to bring it about?
Wicklow County Council has frozen rates for the past four years but to be frank, freezing rates at a Celtic Tiger level is just not good business sense. Dublin City, a labour led Council has lowered rates for the past 5 years. Existing levels of rates are a barrier to new business. More businesses paying a smaller rates bill would make better economic sense than pressurising the existing rates base. We need to cut the rates to incentivise business growth and to protect and grow jobs. Some 72% of employment outside of agriculture and construction is in Small and Medium Enterprises, they are the lifeblood and the engine of economic growth and recovery and need to be supported. Some towns have introduced rates incentives for new businesses, if this were to happen, the danger of displacement would need to be carefully considered. Whilst I welcome legislation that new occupiers are not liable for historic rates arrears. I believe an overhaul is needed, the re-valuation of properties needs to be more regular, appeals should be allowed on economic grounds. In some cases rates can be the main overhead for a business, and this was never intended to be the case. The Value for Money agenda needs to apply not just to the State but also to rate payers. Rate payers should have a voice and influence in how the money they raise is spent. It is vital the 6 elected Councillors for the Arklow area work with businesses and traders to ensure they get a better deal.

Rejuvenation of Arklow | Mary Mooty Labour Party Candidate

What specific measures will you employ to bring badly needed investment to Arklow, inward investment to the centre of town, to the existing industrial units and commercial zoned land?
I am committed to focus on supporting local recovery. Arklow is in a very strategic position in terms of road network and proximity to a fundamental port and railway infrastructure. I would like to see the Local Authority get involved in direct promotion of Arklow in terms of inward industrial development. I see the lack of proper sewerage infrastructure as one barrier to industrial development that must be tackled immediately. At the moment even the new sewage plant designed for Arklow is of a design that would not support a planning application for a major factory. We need joined up thinking on this. Investment in the knowledge and green economies were names as priorities in the Town Development Plan, and I agree that Arklow needs to find a niche area to become a Centre of Excellence in, and this needs to be in a high growth sector. I would like to see Arklow build on its industrial heritage and become a Centre of Excellence in light engineering and manufacturing. I would love to bring the South Easts first Fab Lab to Arklow, married with a range of support for entrepreneurs through the Local Enterprise Office. People will only choose to work and live here if the quality of life is high in terms of social facilities, vibrancy of our town centre etc. Ultimately this is all about relationship building, and bringing people to the table to work towards a shared vision of greater economic development. Arklow needs to elect people who can do this, to work with partners and officials across all agencies.

Do you support the purchase of the Alps site and how will you ensure its development if it is bought by local authority?
I think that the possibility of the Council buying the Alps site is one of the most exciting opportunities that there has been for Arklow in recent times. It is such a strategic site. It has everything, the river frontage, main street frontage and a historic context. I think that it is important that its development would be the cornerstone of an overall rejuvenation plan for the town. It should not be developed in isolation of the rest of the town. Conservation and heritage should play very significant roles in any overall plan including the Alps site. Properly developed the Alps site could play a significant role in increasing Arklows attraction as a tourism destination, as a shopping destination and as a place to live.

Rejuvenation of Arklow | Mary Mooty Labour Party Candidate

Arklow has an issue with derelict buildings throughout the centre of town, what are your proposals to bring an end to this problem?
I believe a carrot and stick approach is needed to this problem. Derelict buildings are a scourge in the town, and I believe strong definitive action is needed. This is not unique to Arklow; however we seem to have them sited right in the commercial heart, and this cannot be allowed to continue. In terms of the incentivising the owner to fix up the property, I want to see the type of tax incentive currently enjoyed by inner city Dublin, Waterford and Limerick extended to other historic areas including Arklow. We need a system of incentivising refurbishment of buildings, and this could be brought about locally through the discretion in new legislation to have higher or lower development contribution levies for such work. It would help grow construction jobs while at the same time investing in the economic and tourism potential of the town, this knits in well with the Action Plan for Jobs which has a focus on construction and tourism. Some Councils have also a dedicated official working on this issue which could be an option. However we also need to penalise non-use. The legislation is in place, it simply needs to be enforced. The owner should be given the opportunity to fix up the property. If this isn't done, it must be added to the derelict sites list. This tactic does work as it means that the owner is legally obliged to pay 3% of its value each year or the Council can demand that it be brought up to spec or the owner will face financial penalties. I do think the Act needs to be strengthened in terms of Compulsory Purchase. As an interim measure, and it really is only an interim measure, as it does not fix the problem, is to lift large professional art hoardings in front of such buildings, the cost of doing this needs to be weighed against the cost of not doing it.

Rejuvenation of Arklow | Mary Mooty Labour Party Candidate

The potential of tourism in Arklow is huge, what are your proposals to make the town a tourist destination and how will you ensure your suggestions are acted on?
I wish to acknowledge the hard work done by the Chamber of Commerce in this area. In my view, four key strategic advantages need to be exploited. 1. Our transportation links to Dublin where most tourists arrive in Ireland. 3.5 m overseas tourists arrive in Dublin each year; we need to capture a % of this. Most of these tourists are on a city break, we need to market ourselves as a day trip destination to capitalise on this.

2. Our rich maritime culture and coastal location. The Council should support existing and proposed water related and maritime activities in the area such as sailing, fishing and marinas. Use of the waterfront zone should be maximised.

3. Our proximity to areas like Avoca, the National Parks and Glendalough. The planned cycleways linking Arklow to Woodenbridge, Avoca and beyond is a big opportunity. In time, I would like a link to the Wicklow Way and the coast walk from Bray to Wicklow. The Marsh project in the town is a jewel in our crown, and also offers large potential for us to market ourselves as a centre for eco-tourism. 4. And the towns heritage status as a medieval town. These four strands need to be brought together within a framework that incorporates increased online awareness of Arklow, upskilling and crossskilling of people to work in the tourism sector and raising the quality of accommodation offerings in the town. Arklow needs its own 21st century tourism plan to capitalise on its historic past.

The redevelopment or Arklow and its main street is needed urgently, what is your vision for it and how will you help bring about the required changes?
The main street is the heart of the town. It has so much going for it but it has many challenges. The only answer is a joined up regeneration strategy. I like the Town Partnership model used in Limerick and Carlow, which brings traders, businesses, residents, Council, community groups, Gardai etc together to find and work on solutions. One of the biggest challenges is encouraging pedestrians to use a street that has so much vehicular traffic; we need to revisit a traffic management plan. Parking is another challenge, one hour free parking should be examined. However, in terms of opportunities, we have Bridgewater, with a footfall of over 50,000, something neighbouring towns look with envy on. The development of the Alps, whether by the council itself or by some other buyer will have a significant effect on the future vitality of the main street. The two cannot be developed independently of one another. Our public spaces need to be redesigned to maximise civic engagement. We have an interesting streetscape, narrow lanes leading to interesting places, such as the river walk or the Abbey grounds. Street architecture and lighting should be used to maximise this. We need to address the problem of our derelict buildings, encourage small and pop up enterprises and make our street visually attractive.

Rejuvenation of Arklow | Mary Mooty Labour Party Candidate

I believe the Main Street has the potential to be a Civic services hub, with the planned investment in the new library, an accessible upgraded post office, Municipal offices and the Vault, there will be a reason for people to use the street. It is important that this is a pleasant experience for people.

What is your understanding of commercial water rates and what is your stance on it?
The handling of water services transferred from all Local Authorities to Irish Water from 29th April. There is no longer a role for Wicklow County Council or Councillors in setting commercial water rates. One of the biggest contributors to water costs in a town like Arklow is water leakage. As much as 40% of water in our pipes could be leaking into the ground before it ever gets to a tap. I was very pleased with the announcement late last year that 2.7m is to be invested in leak detection and pipe replacement in Co. Wicklow including Arklow. But the Council needs to be considering water conservation all of the time. Any further development work in Arklow should have an aspect of water leak detection. Every time a street is opened up, be it for road, sewerage or other service installation, the possibility of upgrading leaky connections from main water pipes to buildings should be investigated. We have to start thinking in a joined up way. Lower water costs mean savings to business and more jobs. An equally important issue is water quality and quantity. Investing in new water treatment capacity for the town is an ongoing project and very necessary for future economic development and social needs. The bottom line is that if business are to pay for water then it needs to be clean, a reliable supply and not wasteful.

What is your understanding of the ongoing problems with the sewerage treatment and what will you do to move it forward?
This concerns me greatly. The River Avoca is essentially an open sewer for the town, contrary to all EU rules. A modern sewage treatment system for Arklow is a matter of public health. It is also a necessary for growth in industry and jobs and is hindering our development as a potential tourist destination. The lack of progress is deeply worrying. Whilst I understand legal challenges led to much of the delay, we are at crisis point now. The enormous problem now, as I understand it, is that planning permission is due to expire in April 2015 and under the planning rules, if the project is not substantially complete the planning cannot be extended unless the delay was due to economic reasons. It seems quite impossible now that the works would be substantially complete by 2015. We are facing the preparation of a new Environmental Impact Statement, and new planning process. My own feeling is that this was inevitable. The current design is now an old design and the town has outgrown the original design projections it was based on by a factor of 50%. Also the current design makes no allowances for incorporating flood relief works into the construction phase. Arklow badly needs a scheme to prevent future flooding. This will necessitate work to the quay walls. The current sewerage design involves construction of new sewers along the quay walls. It makes more sense to do this as one job rather than opening up the ground along the Quay walls twice. This entire project needs a full review urgently. It is for me, the biggest crisis facing the town. 5 Rejuvenation of Arklow | Mary Mooty Labour Party Candidate