Council plan could ‘kill business' in Ballinspittle

By Kieran O’Mahony

PLANS by Cork County Council to introduce a central paved area in Ballinspittle as part of a €250,000 Village Improvement Scheme could kill business in the village, according to concerned business owners, who say it  will reduce on-street car parking spaces from 42 to 10.

They welcome the Council plans to install new public lighting, upgrade the existing road-side drainage system, excavate and replace a number of footpaths as well as install road marking, signage and street furniture. But they have an issue with plans for a central paved area in the village, as well as the installation of decorative bollards to protect the paved area and prevent illegal parking. 

They were also annoyed with the lack of communication from Cork County Council on the project.

‘Basically we don’t really have any problem with all the features of the proposed scheme bar the paved area. We knew the plan was coming but we weren’t aware until last month when the notice went up in the village. We had a meeting about this and it’s the taking all our parking spaces which is our main concern,’ said Lyndsey Hurley, who runs Hurley’s Bar in the village.

Local butcher Donal Lordan said that the current parking system works and changes to that could spell disaster for the village.

‘If they implement a scheme that doesn’t work then the whole village will suffer, and people’s livelihoods are at stake here, as there are about 80 people employed here in different businesses and hopefully Cork County Council will listen to us.’

‘It works here as people can come to the village, park their car and do their shopping.’

Locals in the village have drawn up their own alternative plan, which sees less car parking spaces being lost and they presented it  at a public meeting in Ballinspittle on Wednesday night. 

They intend to submit to Cork County Council before the closing date for submissions on September 8th.