CORK County Council has confirmed that work is ongoing regarding parking proposals in Bandon - but denied that the local authority is in the process of buying any property.
The thorny issue of parking in Bandon was once again raised at last week’s meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District with Cllr John Collins (Ind Ire) asking if there was any truth to rumours doing the round that the council has bought certain properties.
Padraig Barrett, Municipal District manager for Bandon Kinsale, said they council is not in the process of buying any properties in the town.
Senior executive officer Noreen O’Mahony did tell councillors that a lot of work is ongoing in the background and that they are hoping to bring a proposal to elected members in September or October. She said it will relate to the provision of long-term car parking and the better management of existing car parks in the town.
Cllr John Michael Foley (FG) said he attended a recent meeting at Bandon Town Hall where parking was the main issue raised. He said he walked around the town afterwards to look at the car parks in the town.
He suggested trialling a two-hour parking limit at both Ballymodan Car park and Brady’s Lane car park because people are tending to park there all day long.
‘There are 30 spaces at Ballymodan and if you imposed a two-hour limit then you increase the turnover of cars five-fold and this can help create opportunities for businesses in the town,’ said Cllr Foley.
He also suggested that the Glasslyn Road car park could be freed up for shoppers if a bus stop was installed at Bandon GAA where people who commute to Cork city daily could park their cars there all day and then get the bus to Cork city from there.
He proposed that the municipal district work closely with the likes of Bandon Business Association (BBA) to look at having a street festival or carnival to coincide with the opening up of South Main Steet as well as showing off the new streetscape to shoppers and locals.
Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) who also attended the town hall meeting said parking was the most topical point of the night.
Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) said the works in Bandon are the ‘cosmetic touch up’ that Bandon needed for years and that the quality of the streetscape works is exceptional.
