Public to be consulted to determine which estates need more parking
Councillors in Fermoy Municipal District who are keen to roll out a scheme that will convert some green spaces in housing estates into additional car parking spaces, have been asked to sound out the public about which housing estates are in most need of extra car parking spaces.
Speaking at a Fermoy MD council committee meeting earlier this week, Senior Executive Engineer with the council Brendan O’Gorman, said a pilot scheme to convert some green space to additional parking in housing estates in Bartlemy, Doneraile and Kilworth had been “successful at relatively minor costs” and that the scheme would be rolled out next year also.
Mr O’Gorman was speaking in response to a motion by Cllr William O’Leary calling for the scheme to be extended.
Cllr O’Leary said the issue of inadequate parking was “not as relevant in the newer estates as it is in the older ones.” He said the scheme had been very successful and that “it was a minimum amount of green space taken out. The balance was struck: no-one wants to see green areas pillaged but we’re not looking for 15 spaces. Four or five spaces can make all the difference in a lot of these estates.”
Councillors present at the meeting were unanimous in their approval for the scheme, despite a general trend in planning nationally to reduce the allocation of parking spaces in new developments to try to disincentivise car use.
Cllr Noel McCarthy said he was aware of neighbours in the Fermoy area that had fallen out and weren’t speaking over the issue of parking spaces.
“I think it’s very sad when you see neighbours not talking over parking spaces,” he said. “If we can alleviate that, it would make such a difference to people. We have older estates where there were green areas which were for the kids, but they are grown up now so the green spaces are much too big.”
Cllr O’Brien pointed out that housing pressure meant that adult children who drive themselves are now often remaining in the family home, meaning that many households have two or more cars.
Mr O’Gorman asked councillors to send the executive a list of proposed estates that they think need more spaces, and to reflect “what you’re hearing on the doorsteps” in the nominated estates.