Castletown is to lose one of its best-established shops.

Radcliffe Butchers - and deli next door - will move to another part of the island.

The local authority’s decision to close half the square to car parking until September is the reason behind the move.

Like other traders in town, the business has endured years of disruption caused primarily by the Callow’s Yard development and in recent years by the regeneration scheme in the square.

’The commissioners do not look after you,’ said butcher Chris Lennon. ’People want parking in the square. First there was Callow’s Yard, trucks were going up and there was mess. I did the shop up and then there was regeneration.

Mr Lennon, whose family has run the business for 34 years, added: ’My mind is made up. I have had enough. There have been years of commissioners not considering the traders, without the traders what have you got?

’Castletown is a ghost town. If your takings are down every week you are struggling.’

A petition demanding parking in the whole of the square be reinstated is at the butcher’s and on Facebook (see ’Help save Castletown Square parking NOW’).

Resident and locum pharmacist at Lloyd’s Lina Desai, who is ’horrified and disappointed at the decline’ in town, is behind the petition.

It reads: ’The once beautiful village of Castletown was ruined by Mr Tillyard’s (sic) interference. Now, if that wasn’t enough, the commissioners of Castletown (Colin Leather) have taken away the very limited parking spaces in the square. This has affected businesses over the last few weeks such as Radcliffe’s Butchers who will have to close and relocate.

’Other businesses in the area may be forced to do the same.

’Please share this with everyone you know. There is a petition that can be signed at Radcliffe’s Butchers. Let’s all help to reinstate the parking. Let’s save Castletown.’

Trader Cherie Bolleurs, who has run Gaslight Gift Shop since 2015, said: ’I do really feel parking is the big last straw that broke the camel’s back as far as Chris is concerned. It will impact my business, he is like a draw card for town, lots of people say they came to the butcher and popped in to my shop.

’The commissioners do not consult traders, we are rent paying and rate paying. Even when you have a discussion with them they say: "It’s on Facebook", not everyone uses Facebook. If Chris goes it’s a big problem in town.

’You do need destination stores they are so important.’

She added: ’Coffee Republic has made a difference to the square, but it’s so embarrassing, tourists stand at the top of Malew Street and say: "Where is the high street, where are the shops?" We have got to hold on to what we have got in terms of traders.

’I believe in Castletown, there is hope, this has been a big knock. Towns with millions of people are run efficiently, you would have thought they could do it with this one, where there are hundreds.’

Mr Leather said: ’The town is changing and part of the change is making use of that square.

’The response from people about the square is fantastic, people come into the office and say they are very proud of the town and people stop me in the street, that’s the reaction the commissioners are getting. We spent £1.7m on the square.’

He revealed the authority is buying the site of the fire station, which is being vacated. ’The civic centre car park is used a lot more, pretty soon we will have the fire station, we think there will be 30 spaces in there with their (the station) move being not too far away parking will be resolved soon.’

’The commissioners always wanted to buy the fire station, it’s an important piece of land, negotiations are nearly finished, it is not in the plans to demolish the fire station we want to analyse how it’s used, immediately it will be used as car parking. It will off set the car parking lost and provide more, it’s very positive for town. It’s a strategically important plot.

’Nothing is finalised with Treasury. I can’t reveal any more details yet.’

He added there is communication with traders - through the traders’ association - and said: ’We have got two representatives with the traders who go to meetings.’As for reopening all of the square for parking, he said: ’It will be discussed at the next board meeting.’