Fears for the future of businesses in Cashel raised after loss of parking spaces
“People are coming to Cashel and cannot park to have lunch” - Cllr Roger Kennedy
Businesses in Cashel are at risk of closing because of the removal of parking spaces in the town.
“We will have more businesses gone by Christmas,” Cllr Roger Kennedy told a meeting of Tipperary/Cahir/Cashel Municipal District.
Cllr Kennedy said the loss of parking spaces was having a detrimental effect on business people in the town as motorists could not find parking to do their business in the town.
Cllr Kennedy said eight spaces had been removed in Camus Road and this took place following the loss of four parking bays on the Golden road.
He asked officials how the authority could expect to collect rates from the businesses affected by the loss of the parking spaces. They had also paid parking levies and now the spaces were gone.
Cllr Kennedy said the loss of parking was having a detrimental effect on the business of food outlets in Cashel.
“People are coming to Cashel and cannot park to have lunch, and they go on to have lunch in Cahir or the Horse & Jockey. When these premises opened in Cashel, they would have paid for parking and now those spaces are gone,” said Cllr Kennedy.
Cllr Kennedy wanted to know if the authority would compensate the business owners for the loss of the parking spaces or if the authority was making plans to provide alternative parking.
Cllr Kennedy said he has been told that the shortage of parking spaces in the town was proving to be a hindrance to finding occupants for vacant buildings in the town. Developments in the town centre had reduced car parking bays from35 down to 20.
“The town centre is choc-a-bloc,” said Cllr Kennedy.
Cllr John Crosse said the challenge was to find new off-street parking in the town of Cashel. He asked engineers if new areas for parking could be found and wondered if old council machinery sites that were not in use could be used for parking.
James Swords Executive Engineer, said a small number of parking spaces had been removed at Camus Road by agreement.It was a very busy junction and the consequences of the loss of the parking spaces were far outweighed by the positives involved with the improvements made on road safety in terms of improved motorist behaviour and better sight lines created. They would keep on board the concerns that more parking spaces were needed at that end of the town. Business people would have paid a parking levy which was a contribution to the provision of parking in the town.
Management of existing parking spaces was key, he said.
Damien Ginty, Director of Services, said they were looking at other possible locations that might be suitable for parking. If suitable, investment would be needed to turn them into car parks and that was where parking levies came in.
Cllr Liam Browne said business owners in Cashel were complaining to him that people were parking all day long in Cashel and there was no turnover of motorists. People did not want to walk five minutes into town as the car park before the GAA ground was always empty.
“We need more spaces, but we need to work on turnover,” said Cllr Browne.