Shop closures among concerns in ancient capital

The increasing number of empty shops, parking provision, and the rising cost of living have been raised as issues facing voters in Arbory, Castletown and Malew.

Although stretching out to include the two parishes, at the heart of the southern constituency is the ancient capital of the Isle of Man.

Boasting Georgian and Victorian architecture and overlooked by the Medieval fortress Castle Rushen, concerns have been raised over a severe decline in the number shops in Castletown’s centre.

Tearoom owner Patsy Lockerby said the drop in footfall had left small shops and businesses “suffering”.

She said: “I’m the only shop open in Malew Street, so that sort of speaks volumes, doesn’t it?”

“It’s affected the town – people don’t bother now, they bypass Castletown. You can’t rely on the tourists and coaches coming because there’s nothing for them.”

She called for action from the government to help independent businesses in the short term to get up and running in the town centre.

“They need to come up with something that they can afford that would be beneficial to people who want to start a new business,” she said.

Repeated closures of parking in Market Square by the commissioners in previous years was cited by her as a significant reason for shop closures due to dwindling footfall in recent years.