Playground traffic will not be an issue
Cllr Grainne McLoughlin and Cllr Derek Mitchell asked how the council plans to manage traffic, parking and the safety of children and their parents at the new Kilcoole playground.
During last week’s meeting of Greystones Municipal District, they said that there is no car parking and no footpath at the entrance on Lott Lane opposite Wellfield.
Cllr McLoughlin said that she is thrilled about the playground and said it is fabulous. However she said that traffic has not been accounted for. She said that when residents ask her about this, she doesn’t seem to be able to get an answer.
District manager Michael Nicholson said that there are more than 30 playgrounds around the county and they’ve never provided a car park. He said that they eat into the playground land and it’s usually a small, tight site. He said that in their experience, the vast majority of people walk to the playground. ‘You can be absolutely certain, if you provide a car park, they will drive and won’t walk.’
He said that there has never been an issue with irresponsible parking at any car park.
He said that if it becomes an issue, he and the council will deal with it. ‘Let’s build it and see what happens. I appreciate I don’t live in the estate and I don’t know how people park there. If it becomes an issue we will deal with it.’
Cllr McLoughlin said that it was a mistake to bring a path as far as the roundabout. ‘You’re advocating that people park there,’ she said. She also said that there is a blind spot coming out of Wellfield.
‘I had young kids and I know what they’re like, they charge and they run,’ she said. ‘ That is a dangerous stretch of road.’
Mr Nicholson said that the last thing in the world they wish to do is have something unsafe. ‘We are looking at ways of mitigating any potential danger,’ said engineer Ruairi O’Hanlon.
They said that rather than trying to design for something that hasn’t happened, they build it, open it, see how people are using it and how they behave, then they will know what to do. ‘I guarantee you if it becomes an issue I won’t ignore it,’ said Mr Nicholson.