Covid street plan brings parking issues to the fore
KERRY County Council Covid-19 Mobility Plan for the streets of Dingle has met with a cool response from some town centre traders who say the plan is based on flawed assumptions and will be bad for business.
The plan, which was drawn up on May 29, assumes that social distancing will be required for the foreseeable future and aims to put in place “effective ways of ensuring that social distancing can be maintained, as is reasonable and practical, while ensuring that businesses can resume trading” as coronavirus restrictions are eased. Council officials emphasised that the plan is flexible and will be modified if necessary.
Green Street, Strand Street, Holy Ground and The Quay, where the footpaths are narrow and busy, are the areas most affected by the plan which aims to make more space for pedestrians by removing parking spaces. This would also make room available for businesses to extend onto the street so that they can remain viable while meeting social distancing requirements.
The plan was debated at a public consultation meeting held over the internet and attended by 66 people on Monday evening. Green Street traders were united in opposition to the plan, disputing the council’s ‘ high footfall’ assessment and insisting their businesses would suffer if people aren’t allowed park near their shops.
However, Strand Street traders who contributed to the meeting hosted by Dingle Business Chamber, welcomed the proposal to pedestrianise their patch and the opportunities it offers to extend their businesses onto the street. The meeting heard from Corca Dhuibhne / Castleisland District Engineer Breda Mulryan that although the council has traditionally not been very open to allowing restaurants and pubs put street furniture outside their premises they would take a different approach now “to give businesses more options to remain viable”.
The response from Green Street was decidedly less welcoming and all the traders who contributed to the meeting pointed out that the council’s assessment of ‘ high footfall’ on the street was entirely inaccurate.
Mary O’Sullivan of the Corner Shop pointed out that “Dingle isn’t going to be all that busy” this summer and insisted that shops “need onstreet parking”. Nuala Moore said it was vital to allow customers park near her shop, Claire Walsh said elderly customers in particular needed to park close to Walsh’s Chemists, and Patrick Sheehy asked how delivery trucks would get to his Spar supermarket.
Kerry County Council’s Director of Services, John Breen, said all the parking spaces wouldn’t be removed from Green Street and offered assurances that the plan would be amended if possible to facilitate businesses. But the traders weren’t reassured.
Claire Walsh pointed out that West Kerry people have been highly responsible about social distancing since the lockdown was introduced and asked, “shouldn’t people be allowed be responsible for themselves?” John Breen felt “the experience from beaches shows this can’t be relied upon” but Claire’s neighbour, Elaine Sheehy in La Boheme boutique, reassured him that in Dingle: “We can rely on the public. People are educated, informed and totally aware of their own rresponsibility.”
Elaine suggested a one-way system ffor pedestrians on the footpaths of Green Street would allow social distancing without parking restrictions and John Breen promised to consider this proposal before the Covid-19 plan is finalised.
Meanwhile, local council staff started work on Monday clearing the site for a new car park behind the presbytery on Green Street. This would help solve the street’s parking problems but although work has started the council has no funding to complete the job. However, John Breen said there may be a possibility of sourcing funding for temporary surfacing under the current coronavirus programme.