What should the future of Castletown look like?
The Department of Infrastructure has been asking residents what they think about developing a 'Living Streets' concept for the ancient capital.
The department is considering a range of options, including making some roads one-way, improving on-road parking and making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle.
Amy Griffiths has been finding out more from firstly the DOI before listening to the views of some of the people who attended a public drop-in to discuss the plans:
Hi there I'm Amy Griffiths and I'm one of the journalists in Manx Radio's Newsroom and you're listening to Newscast. Hi it's Andrea Rivers. We're at this pop of event presenting the consultation for the Living Streets of Castle Town. What kind of reception have you had so far? It's actually been mixed reviews. We've had actually positive, we've had some good suggestions and we've also, with anything we do, we'll have a negative as well. What we've come today and last week was a blank canvas. So actually the residents, businesses within Castle Town can actually tell us what they want or what they don't want. So we haven't come up with any decisions. We want to get the feedback from everybody and I think we've had over 200 responses so far from what I've looked out. They are a difference of opinion. We've noted that there's a lot of accessibility issues for those with mobility issues so wheelchairs, prams as to be dealt with. So generally speaking it's it's it's was still literally in the days that we can't actually have reviewed all the decisions but I appreciate people taking the time to come in with their positivity and also that the criticism to way things are done because that's also how we can learn to improve going forward. So it's it's great from both angles. And why is this as keen as being considered now? This has actually been on the back burner for about four years now. We the department were approached to look at improving commuter traffic to stop commuter traffic going through the narrow streets within Castle Town. They were asked us to look at maybe improving parking situations and basically the immunity of the of the village or if the town should I say sorry. So it was a big scheme to look at individually one street over and ever so we came as the department to say we'll look at the whole of the area and we're doing more schemes like this across the island because we've done the Balakimin one that we've worked on so it's not specific to Castle Town and there's future schemes that we want to look at as well such as Paul Rose and Annika. So it's actually improved the immunity of the village for the community. So it's four years in the pipeline that they approached us. We've actually had the officers to be able to do it now. We've had the resources to do it and so we're just actually gauging the views of what the public wants. And it of course will be subject to funding no matter what the result of the consultation is or what the feedback from the consultation is. Given the current political climate and economic situation a lot of people are saying if it ain't broke don't fix it and also we have better places to be investing money into. So what do you say to that? I totally agree that we know funding is of an issue and as such what we're doing is actually looking at what is needed. So we're not looking at the role of Roy schemes. We're actually looking at the basics like improving accessibility, improving bus stop improvements, making it safe. We're not asking or we're not inventing a huge project. It's not a glorified project. It's what will aid the community. Making some roads one way is maybe very very cheap solution but if it actually works and by doing that we increase parking for residents. I think that is seen as a positive. So it's actually listening to what again I keep saying it's listening to what the people want but we have to be also we have to be very very mindful that there's a lot of people within Castle Town, a lot of visitors that come to Castle Town from abroad and in wheelchairs who do have issues getting around and we need to address this whether this scheme was to go ahead or not because we have to make sure it's safe for everybody. So anybody wanting to have their voice heard how can they do that? Right there we've got a consultation going on the consultation hub which is the Castle Town Living Streets. They can email me directly. They can directly sorry. They can telephone me and we've had two drop-in sessions. There is also maybe a drop-in session plan for an evening one in the new year. So there's various ways they can get in touch and have their views. I mean we're all very approachable. You know we will listen and we'll take on board what they have to say because at the end of the day these are the people that live here they know what they want. They know where the problems are and they know how we can fix it so we're here to try and address that. What are your thoughts about the plans that are being presented today? Well I'm not really sure what the plans are because they haven't really told us or we've heard so far as vague statements about wanting to make it easier to walk about which sounds nice from one point of view but I can't help wondering if there's another agenda there because what would really make it easier for people to walk about here is if they were to actually do something about resurfacing sorry the terrible straight state of the roads all the way up Maloo Street for instance from the town centre right up to the top. I don't know how people with mobility issues can manage because it's not possible to walk along the pavement all the way into town. It's not the traffic it's the problem it's the state of the roads and they need to sort that out before they start thinking about grand schemes about brooding people to walk around for I think many people do walk around here what we need a safe well-maintained road so DOI please get your act together. And it does seem to me to say to be a focus on pedestrian I is saying and to try and make things more accessible in terms of here in the town centre what do you think apart from the resurfacing would be the best ways of doing that? Well I don't think it needs to be pedestrianised I think we have a fair amount of pedestrianisation within the town centre but going further out basically creates greater problems because parking is necessary people don't all live in Castle Town they need to drive around and there are people that don't have the luxury of their own driveways car parking spots I should expect in a you know an historic town that was built before most people had motorcars so what's needed are to encourage people to walk is a safer surface to walk on you know I must admit the talk of pedestrianisation worries me a little bit because there are people who need their cars to get around people do need to use the cars to get from place to place especially people mobility issues and I don't think I think most people who live in Castle Town walking are going into the town centre most of us do walk so I think there's a problem being created that doesn't exist when we do have a problem which is a terrible state of the roads and I suppose one thing as well is actually when you're in the town centre you see empty business after empty business and do you think that maybe that should be the focus of trying to attract and encourage new business to thrive here oh most definitely I really grieves me because this is the historic capital of the island and to see so many businesses going out you know we've lost our butcher in the last year which is a you know a really heavy loss and seeing local businesses struggle as much as they can they you know have struggled a little bit I know some businesses think that the pedestrianisation of the square in the summer has hit their business and I've got no opinion on that but what really does worry me is the way it was then just announced without any kind of consultation that the square will be closed off to traffic throughout the winter as well that really does worry me but yeah we need to focus more on how to encourage business and driving motorists away from other towns is not the way to encourage business in our wonderful historic capital former mate k and former minister Richard Ronan what are your thoughts on what's being presented today well I'm grateful it's been put on I know there was one last week as well and just really trying to get to the bones of actually why they're trying to propose such fundamental change in castle town probably in a time when we don't need this and so certainly understanding that this has been driven by the commissioners this was four years ago which I found out today and the department have spent this time coming up with this these proposals has been on the internet getting brochures and leaflets today which is which is all very good and so yeah I think I'm a little bit I'll say perplexed about why they why they want to do this now you know there's this bigger fish on here there's bigger things to do around castle town the island as well and it is subject to funding as well so there's no guarantee that whatever comes out of the consultation will actually happen or happen in the near future as well so do you kind of feel like it's maybe jumping the gun slightly I think you just said it there the consultation that's happening now okay when we did the regeneration work the regeneration structures that were put in place were very very rigorous centrally driven by the council of ministers committees were set up all over the island with very very strict guidelines and how them committees would work and how you would then get your designs and then initially go there then go to funding I would suggest that this living streets idea that they have in out is actually bigger than the regeneration works because it's going to impact people's lives much much more than the regeneration works in castle town it's going to impact to everybody now I would strongly suggest instead of doing this paper exercise and then just maybe in a year's time landing with kangal hammers around the town that's when people will stir I would strongly suggest we go back to an idea where where we set up a subcommittee in the town with with relevant parties businesses groups in the town who have a strong idea who are going to be here a long long time after any board of the commissioners I fully appreciate the commissioners have to make decisions but in fairness they have they've already made this decision they've said can you go and look at this this is going to impact so many people and so yeah it's I can see now it's at a very very delicate stage here now and well what do you feel like the future of castle town should be then if not this well certainly I think a castle town and any town around the island man and around the world should be as sustainable as it can be a castle town again like any town is struggling at the minute with with business and retail and I can't see any justification in making fundamental changes to the flow of castle town right now it's been here forever I'm not I'm not against change because I was a bit of a change agent myself but honestly I just can't see the reasoning the rationale why we would want to do this now and I think and you know there's that we're going this has happened to go to treasury you're going to have to go to funding when really I'm back you know if you if you ran a straw poll the people of castle town say where would you want your money go to build castle russian high school to fund the health service or make the street one way and spend half a million pound that I know what the answer would be it works as it is there's bigger there's bigger issues to fry in regards to how our town's going to work in the future not how people are going to move around the town we're not we're not bratislava we're not london we're castle town with three and a half thousand people not even that castle town's population has been more or less stagnant for since the war you know there's not we don't really need fundamental change here is it enough to turn to you back into politics do you think um at this current moment in time I'm busy at work and but this last few months has been very interesting what has um what has pleased me is is the people of castle town are starting to stand up the people of castle town are good good people you know they're you know they're really hard working I think it's like a lot of places if you poke a stick at somebody you know the barrel the barrel rise and I think you're seeing this in castle town right now well the turn out's great I mean it's been really busy all afternoon so the last sort of half an hour that I've been here it's been very busy and so do you think that's the good sign in itself well you got asked why you know because you know people starting to talk again certainly what's happened with the market square and the base of the way decisions are being made people are talking again you know they may not be going to the pubs like they used to be meeting in the shops like they used to be but people are talking again and that's a that's a really good thing that's a healthy healthy democracy and that's what castle town is all about Steve Crowther you stood in this constituency in the last election didn't you and you're here to look at the plans today what are your thoughts so far I think the initial feeling is that I know Andrea is introducing it today and I think that the base comment is that there isn't the awareness and that's now becoming apparent because of these presentations and I think the comment is it's already been running a month so what Andrea is saying is I think they need to extend it another month after January because that will make the time for people to pick up within the community that there is big changes and you know some of those can be beneficial some of them you know need input and I think now's our time to you know respond and really for people to pick up on the reality of what you know could be coming and a lot of people have been speaking to me and sharing their discontent let me say should we say about the plans and do you feel like people's concerns are being listened to well I think the first my answer to your question is just being stated really I think we're a month down the line and I don't think a lot of people have picked up that there is potential change so those people in the community who talk perhaps pick up a little bit more on the local network beginning to understand that there is something here so again it's really important now that I don't think everybody is aware and now is the time we need to put our feedback into it because if we do then I think there's an awful lot to consider and it's right that if government do want to you know look at this comprehensively because we're being told it's a you know quite a considerably comprehensive review for the town right up to its boundary which is important because we've got a lot of things coming at the moment for example if we build the roundabout at Balasala people haven't thought that actually that's going to direct a lot of traffic through Victoria Road so there's a lot of other little things on the outside of the town that are going to have an impact and I want I'd like to think that people have all put their input into that equation I have spoken to a number of the stakeholders the you know retail outlets and others in the square and I think you know there's a hit miss of whether people like the idea some of the ideas but we need it all pulling together because there has been a sort of urban spaces review and there's also this now which is a traffic review and it would be really nice to think that they will put together so that we could have a comprehensive review and that it's over a little longer period so that we can get the right input and the right evaluation there are a number of facilities at the moment which have potential which are not being used and I'd like to know where they're going to end up not just at one way street or whatever you know so how do you think the castle town should look them in the years to come and how do you think is going to attract new businesses to the town and footfall and people to come here in a real visitor destination well let's just take a step back to answer that question I think if you you know when the square was first altered there was quite a lot of agitation about it but that's now beginning to sit with us people see the merits the lighting and it's been used more and the local authority of work to try and help that but we lost one or two retail outlets such as the uh secret pizza and they were really having a pull into the town plus Compton vaults so those were examples of things that went and then they're not being replaced and we do need uh you know to generate see I I you know that that that income and certainly I'm saying it as I said at the last election across the island the you know there is a bit of Douglas centric thinking because actually Peele Ramsey poor Erin um and castle town are trying to do their own initiatives after the regeneration keyword there was regeneration and it's and it's flambered because we are not really seeing that um you know really thought through process I believe that honestly the outside towns could be putting an awful lot more money into the Isle of Mankoffers if we thought them through properly so let's see if this is a real chance for me this would be a good example wouldn't it as a good starting point to see can we now pull together some of the reviews that have been done about the town and this evaluation and put it together into a more comprehensive review and then let's see if the towns both think well actually we'll feel that you've listened and we think not everyone's ever going to agree on everything sure but there is an awful lot that needs doing and one other thing to add to that is a school which is still you know still sat here after I studied the 2016 election and going nowhere and that and that that would comprehensively affect the traffic too um you know so there we are you know we would like to see this town offering so much more for its community and also what that would do for the finances in the Isle of Man which appear to be a withering vine at the moment so all hands to the pump I'd say and count down to the next elections now on is it something that you're considering lots of things to consider about that I am getting a bit older so um you know we'll have to see um and also um let's see you know about the what where things are going to stand there's an awful lot happened internationally and I do think that the Isle of Man needs to ready itself so I'll have to see if I have the right input at that time. My name is Helen Lee I'm a Casa Town resident I'm also a blue badge guard for the Isle of Man so I see Casa Town at my own personal local level I was being um you know participant of the town but I also am very proud to show a lot of visitors around to our beautiful Georgian Square and you're standing here clutching a bright pink clipboard with a petition on it that is actually in favor of pedestrianising the Casa Town Square so tell me why um well really because I think in all fairness there are people who have a view other than closing it for um cars and I think that there should be an opportunity to sign up if you would like the square permanently pedestrianised so in the interests of democracy apart from whatever I think myself um you know going around but I do literally just have to go around and say to people do you have an opinion on the square would you be prepared to sign this petition for permanently pedestrianising it I'm getting a lot of positive responses I have to say there are quite a few people but I haven't got the opportunity to put this petition into shops and this sort of thing so it is quite difficult to just get the sheer numbers but from the people have I've spoken to so far I'm very pleasantly surprised by how many people would like to see it permanently closed and we're here today talking about the living streets concept and getting views about that so what do you think of the proposals that are being floated and the ideas that are being presented well I understand that they the do I have come here with a completely blank canvas they are just trying to find out from people whether they feel safe as pedestrians or car drivers or cyclists or whatever um then they don't have a loaded agenda they're not asking about one way systems or anything like that they're just getting feedback I personally would like them to broaden their remit because Castletown is probably the number one tourist venue on the island and I have the privilege of guiding a lot of people around town and I would like to see a lot more facilities for the visitors that come to Castletown so personally I would like to see a one-way system that would make it a lot easier if you bring in people in I'd also like to see a lot more consideration to coach facilities toilet facilities and signage you try and find your way to the entrance of the castle if you've been dropped off in a parent's way you know so there's a lot that Castletown could do so the remit that we've got here is quite narrow it is for residents of Castletown I would like them to broaden it out a little bit and there have been a lot of people voicing really big concerns about these perceived plans do you feel like people are maybe rushing to conclusions maybe a little bit quickly about what the plans for Castletown from government actually are I don't think the my understanding is that government at the moment is just fact collecting I don't think they have got um prescribed ideas I think that is being fed by certain people in the town that this is the way it's going I don't think there's any evidence that it is but from the information they're gaining now my understanding is they're going to put forward some proposals and we'll take it from there yeah if you could paint a picture of your perfect castle town what would it look like um my perfect castle town um I love the square as it is I would like to see it's just as um an urban space I'm just treasuring it for that so that we can appreciate the heritage around us um whether it's the castle or the sundial or the george or you know that sort of thing I would like to see less traffic going through town so that we can respect the integrity of Castletown um and just advertising some of the walks that we have from the town I mean it is beautiful you know in any direction we can go out into the countryside so that would be a lot more information about what is in town and what is just outside town yes. We're not impressed at all we're not seeing anything all we have is a few little handouts which uh infer that there's going to be one way streets which is ludicrous in Castletown it will in the racetrack as was proven when they were doing the post office and it was one way they were coming up there it was dangerous there's pinch points there traffic is slowed naturally in Castletown and you start to annex places you're going to have a big problem with football in Castletown so we're going to depending where they propose to one way I think the Croft is on the agenda that will be a racetrack cutting through there they're talking about people taking shortcuts now that will be one and it will be dangerous they're inferring that by the old post office police station could be one way another nightmare area so I don't know what they're trying to do but from a resident of Castletown there's nothing broken why do you want to fix it or why do you infer it needs fixing because it does not and there does seem to be a shift towards wanting to pedestrianise more areas so you're looking at the square I mean that's been a hot topic as well and do you think some of it is to try and incentivize people to not be driving around Castletown and actually you should be looking at other modes of transport you think that's maybe sort of part of it and would be what your thoughts on that well Castletown has roughly four thousand people here we don't have a footfall that generates a retail business or even these hairbrains schemes of having these pedestrianised areas we don't have the footfall we need to bring people into the central town we need to allow the older people to be able to park close to the facilities in the winter because it is a nightmare and we've seen you've probably seen it the empty squares every afternoon so I would have to say as well I am the one that put the uh requisition for the public meeting so yes the one thing about Castletown is Castletown is a very tight-knit community and it always has been the people need to be heard and this is not listening to the people I've just listened to some narrative and not one time as someone said there will be a public consultation and that is key the two reports that have been done previously which are not out of date there's the sewer report and the Amy report one on retail one on parking they're still relevant now they have been done okay ten years ago nothing fundamentally has changed in Castletown money has been spent on those and here we are spending more money so you know it seems ludicrous and I suppose you could argue that this is meant to be the consultation period so this is them presenting their plans there is the live consultation at the moment about living streets for Castletown if these if this isn't the way to go what do you think would be the solution I think people are going to have their views this consultation is it taking those views or are they taking the views they want I don't know maybe I'm just being a little bit cynical but you go to a public consultation where everyone is invited and the proposals have show of hands and you can take the show of hands as the mandate for either doing something or shelving it and it's interesting you read the article that was in any newspapers about the first consultation that they ran and it says if the government has funding well why would you want to fund this when there are significant things that government need to fund to give the the whole island benefit like I said at the start this isn't broken why do you need to spend money to fix something that isn't broken thank you for making it to the end of the manxeradian newscast you are obviously someone with exquisite taste may I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of manxeradia podcasts at your favorite podcast provider so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone thank you [BLANK_AUDIO]
