Council's plan for car park for Carrickbeg in Carrick-on-Suir hits stumbling block

A plan to develop a 24-space car park in the Carrickbeg area of Carrick-on-Suir is now in doubt after Tipperary County Council’s proposal to lease the property from Tirlán fell through.

The car park, a key part of the Carrickbeg Active Travel Scheme, was earmarked for a site next to Tirlán’s grain stores between the old Waterford Road and Quay.

It’s one of two car parks planned as part of the Active Travel Scheme to reduce the amount of vehicles parking along Carrickbeg’s narrow streets and relieve traffic congestion.

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Administrator Marie O’Gorman confirmed to Cllr David Dunne at the district’s latest monthly meeting that the car park project was in trouble.

She explained that the council had wanted to lease the site from Tirlán but Tirlán’s shareholders wouldn’t consider a lease arrangement. They wanted the site to be bought.

Cllr Dunne said it would be a shame to lose the car park as it was needed in that community.

Carrick-on-Suir MD Cathaoirleach Cllr Kieran Bourke said this was the first he had heard about the difficulties with the car park project and criticised the council for not informing the town’s councillors about this development.

“It comes as a bit of a shock. I am chair of the district,” he pointed out.

Cllr Dunne told the meeting he heard about the difficulty with the car park from a local resident.

Carrick MD Director of Services Brian Beck explained the councillors would have been informed about this issue if the council had run out of options to get the car park built.

He stressed that the council hasn’t yet given up on developing this car park.

“We are still exploring all avenues to resolve the issue. We would tell you if we ran out of options. It’s not complete.”

Work had been due to commence this month on the Carrickbeg Active Travel Scheme but the council says the start date is now delayed as the contractor chosen for the project is no longer available and a new contractor has to be procured.

The Active Travel Scheme secured planning permission in December last year and aims to provide a more attractive streetscape, improve mobility for all types of transport and deliver continuous walking routes with safe crossing points in Carrickbeg.

Apart from the 24-space car park beside the Tirlán Co-op, the scheme includes a separate nine-space car park further down on a vacant site on the opposite side of the Waterford Road.

The scheme also proposes making a 40m section of the Waterford Road one-way westbound from its junction with Abbey Hill/ Bridge Street to the 24 space-car park entrance.

And it proposes making Abbey Hill one-way south bound from its junction with Bridge Street to its junction with Corpse Road. 

Widening of footpaths, the construction of new footpaths and reducing road carriageway widths are proposed along with the installation of new pedestrian crossings at the entrance to the Old Bridge on the Waterford Road and at the top of Abbey Hill.

Existing pedestrian crossings in Carrickbeg are also to be improved.