Cork council aims to be first to establish designated casual trading areas

The move comes as some fixed businesses fear that casual traders are "taking over" popular tourist areas 

Cork County Council Senior Executive Officer MacDara O'Hicisays that introducing bylaws is a complicated matter as older laws, created by former town councils are still lawful. Picture: Denis Minihane.

An archivist has completed a painstaking report on historic market rights in Co Cork, which should allow the county council to become the first local authority in the country to establish designated casual trading areas.

The news comes amid heightened concerns that casual traders are 'taking over' many tourist and scenic areas and gaining unfair advantage on fixed businesses who are struggling to cope due to the Covid-19 pandemic.