The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘Parking plan will ruin us’
TRADERS ON KILLARNEY’S HIGH ST IN CALL TO CHANGE PARKING PLAN
THE survival of local businesses on High Street in Killarney depends on parking according to local traders who are pleading with Kerry County Council to re-examine plans to remove 15 car parking spaces.
Up to 25 local traders met on Monday night to voice their concerns that Kerry County Council is pressing ahead with plans to remove car parking on a street where many businesses are already struggling to survive. “We all need parking. We don’t want empty shops and a loss of footfall,” said Pat Duggan of Eagers Newsagents.
“It will deflect people coming into town. It will take away our business.
“In Listowel they did retain parking spaces but they are not listening to us in Killarney ... All we want is co-operation.”
He said he felt that consultation has been very bad with local businesses who are already suffering because of the pandemic and will now suffer further with the loss of parking.
Denis Cronin of Cronin’s Butchers said parking was ‘invaluable’ to his businesses.
He feels that traders are being ignored by council management.
“The plan was the removal of 15 spaces, we talked and it is still 15 spaces - this is excessive,” he said.
The removal of parking spaces is part of plans which the council is obliged to implement in a bid to make the town safer as part of Covid-19 reopening measures.
At least 10 submissions were made by High Street traders but the council has continued with its original plans, although it has included set-down parking spaces to help traders.
Elected councillors have no vote on the proposals.
High Street traders hope to draw up an alternative agreed plan amongst themselves which they hope to present to management in the coming days in a bid to try and save High Street and their businesses.
THE future of local businesses in High Street is in jeopardy if Kerry County Council move ahead with plans to remove 15 car-parking spaces from the street.
This is the warning from local traders who fear for the future of the street in light of planned changes.
“We don’t want empty shops, there will be a loss of footfall if you have no parking it will make it easier for customers to go to Deerpark [Shopping Park]. We need it to be a vibrant street,” said Pat Duggan of Eagers Newsagents.
As part of plans for Killarney under the Safe and Welcoming Streets COVID–19 Town Centre Mobility Plans, the town is to lose 50 car-parking spaces – 15 of which are on High Street alone and which led to huge anger by local traders trying to survive in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“The overwhelming feeling is that we all need parking to survive,” said Denis Cronin of Cronins Butchers.
“Parking is invaluable to survive. There are no butchers in Grafton Street in Dublin.”
At least 10 submissions were made to Kerry County Council from High Street traders to the proposals, and though some minor changes were made in light of concerns, the council has pressed ahead with plans to remove 15 parking spaces.
“We feel the council is ignoring us. The original plan was for 15 spaces and the plan is still 15 spaces,” said Mr Cronin.
“They [the council] have given us set-down spaces, but they have not reduced the number of spaces they are removing.”
On Monday night local traders took their concerns to several local councillors and are now hoping to draw up a plan to present to Kerry County Council as they bid, they feel, to save their businesses.
The council has long been adamant these changes have to be introduced and that this is the best way forward.
“We understand we can’t retain all the spaces but 15 is excessive,” said Mr Cronin.
The re-alignment of the new street plan for the town began last week with cones marking the new spaces. This, too, caused much anger to traders, and they have since been removed. Council management said bollards would be used.