THE council is willing to engage with landowners who may have suitable opportunities for additional parking in Bandon town centre.

Draft parking byelaws for four council-owned car parks in the town will introduce time-limits to ensure a quicker turnover of spaces, but some councillors said this could push people further out to park in residential areas and also affect those living in apartments in the town centre.

A new pilot scheme has also seen the local authority develop 24 long-term car spaces at Bandon GAA grounds.

Cllr John Michael Foley (FG) raised a three-point motion at a meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District in relation to the provision of parking in the town centre.

He said the development of long-stay parking at the GAA grounds is a positive step.

He said the proposed parking bye-laws are a step in the right direction but they would need to be given a fairer chance to work.

He also asked would residents be exempt from the two-hour limit in certain cases or staff in doctors’ surgeries who may need to have a car parked nearby in the event of emergencies or call outs.

‘Before we resurface and reline our car parks, we need to make sure we’re getting maximum use of the available space. Even small increases in capacity, particularly in places like Mill Place can make a real difference. We shouldn’t underestimate that.’

He said it is vital to engage with the community and there may be underused spaces, yards or sites within the town centre which could help.

‘We need to be ready and if an opportunity arises we need to be able to act. That means having a capital funding stream in place, a fund that was previously committed to.’

Cllr John Collins (Ind Ire) pointed out that the owner of one site close to the town centre is still waiting for council officials to get back to him about a proposal.

‘There has to be something looked at in the town centre because they are the rate payers and we need to find space in the town centre.’

Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) said she was sceptical about the proposed new time limits for the car parks which could deter people from shopping in the town.

‘We want to keep the people in town and ensure that they’re not pressurised to run back to their cars.’

She added that the construction of 200 new houses must also be taken into consideration.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said changing rules for car parks could be problematic as there has already been some pushback from workers and residents.

‘People coming to Bandon will have parking anxiety,’ he warned.

‘We need to continue the search for more spaces.’

A council reply said they remain open to engaging with any prospective landowners who may have suitable opportunities for additional parking provision.

The closing date for submissions for the new parking bye-laws is April 15th.