Movement on Langford Street’s traffic issues

SCAMPS and Scholars Childcare Centre manager Derek O’Leary has welcomed that Kerry County Council (KCC) has said it will submit an application under the Road Safety Improvements Scheme for improved traffic-calming measures on Langford Street, Killorglin.

The local authority will propose to introduce a raised table or other appropriate safety measures at Langford Street, following repeated calls to address fears over the busy road, which is home to the childcare centre, a secondary school, and significant businesses.

It comes as Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB), who own the land on which Scamps and Scholars is based, approved for land adjacent to the Scamps and Scholars facility to be used to provide extra parking for the childcare facility off the road, taking some of the pressure off Langford Street.

KCC has previously placed signage and road markings on the street in a bid to deter motorists from speeding, but members of the locality have said these have not been effective enough.

The Scamps and Scholars Centre manager said “you get a lot of traffic on this road every day because it’s educational facilities, complexes, and businesses. It’s a very good road and drivers sometimes speed up as they’re going through, but you have about 500 children attending either Scamps and Scholars or the community college, so that’s problematic.

“It’s great that Kerry County Council will make this application, and we’re very grateful to Kerry ETB for doing something to help the problem even though it’s not their responsibility. I hope the change-of-use process will be completed soon so work can begin.”

KCC said it will make its application at the next opportunity in the autumn.