After months of no communication there is white smoke for Ferrybank Shopping Centre

South Kilkenny councillors who had been in limbo for a long time have seen some ‘white smoke’ with a local shopping centre

The Ferrybank Shopping Centre has been largely vacant since it was built in 2008 and despite ongoing correspondence between County Council Officials and Dunnes Stores there had been co communication.

During the monthly meeting of Piltown Municipal District meeting this morning that has now changed.

Dunnes Stores have said that they will sit down and meet with the executive of Kilkenny County Council.

Speaking to KCLR News Piltown Municipal District Chairman Cllr Ger Frisby told our Martin Quilty that its great news

“We just got word that obviously we’ve had correspondence back from Dunnes stores, senior management and their area manager and they’ve agreed to meet with our Executive CEO and our Director of Services for the area”.

“So look hopefully once that meeting is organised we can get into regular correspondence in relation to their plans for the centre and hopefully their opening of it and that it will tie in with the area retail plan and retail strategy which we’re going to be putting to them as well and letting them have an insight into that, so that we can all work together and pulling the one direction and hopefully get this centre open once and for all and get it up and running”.

“We want to get it like the hub of the community and get businesses in here and get jobs created in the local area. So look at it’s great news. It’s it’s only a start but we’ve been looking for it and I’ve been shouting about this for the last 10 years, I know things don’t happen overnight and people say, well overnight is a long time now at this stage but at least it’s a positive sign and we will keep pushing it until we can see the the centre come to full fruition here”.