‘Reckless parking’ at Dorrins Strand highlighted at council
A LOCAL councillor has said that reckless parking has caused significant problems both for residents and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Strandhill. Cllr Sinéad Maguire raised the issues at this week’s meeting of the Borough District of Sligo with a motion highlighting the problems which have been evident around Dorrins Strand. The Fine Gael representative called for the council to undertake an assessment of the traffic situation and implement appropriate measures where necessary to prevent further destruction of the SAC and ensure homes can be accessed at all times by residents.
“The area became very overused in the summer which resulted in some people driving all the way down to the strand and effectively deserting their cars in their attempt to get to the beach.
“Everyone has right to access it, but the area for parking is virtually non-existant and where people are parking is a special area of conservation.”
“A second serious matter is people being either blocked into their homes or stopped from returning to find they could not physically drive in because of reckless parking.
“This is an issue which arose specifically during the summer and has to be addressed.
“We have an obligation to protect SACs and that residents can access their homes in a safe and timely manner.”
The motion was supported by Cllr Arthur Gibbons who said public facilities could not cope with the number of visitors last summer and suggested that if 2021 will be another year of staycations, that people be advised to holiday within their own counties.
He said he would also welcome measures which protect both residents of Dorrins Strand and the area of conservation.
Acting director of services Emer Concannon said that the area engineer will assess the area and will revert back to Cllr Maguire with proposals if deemed appropriate.