BY KIERAN O'MAHONY
BANDON is in urgent need of another car park if it wants to attract shoppers and visitors to the town’s many retail businesses, a recent meeting heard.
Cllr John O’Sullivan (FG) raised the topic at the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District meeting and said the progress of the TPREP (Transportation & Public Realm Enhancement Project) in the town augments the case for another car park.
‘Traders in the town are very concerned that they will be left with no access and elderly people can’t walk long distances to access shops. Bandon really needs a car park in proximity to South Main Street,’ said Cllr O’Sullivan.
‘Unless that happens will traders invest? They are the rate payers and they are entitled to it. The streetscapes already completed through TPREP are looking great but it badly needs a car park. We’ve got to drive this on and get proactive on this.’
Cllr O’Sullivan said they need to ‘redouble’ efforts to find a solution as he said it is critical for the town.
‘Bandon has a good future but it has to have people trading, and to do that we need a car park.’
Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said they have capital funding available for a car park and suggested making the current free car park at Ballymodan Place into a pay-parking facility with a two-hour limit.
‘We are losing car park spaces here as it’s being used by staff and this is very close to the heart of the town to be use as a day-long car park,’ said Cllr Coleman.
Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) asked if they could explore the possibility of a multi- storey car park at the Council-run Harte’s car park.
‘We own the ground and it’s located at the entrance to the town. It would be a really good welcome to the town and buying any type of property in this type of market will be expensive,’ said Cllr Coughlan.
She said she fears that if shoppers can’t park close-by, they will drive onwards to other towns or to Cork city.
Cllr Marie O’Sullivan (FG) said it would be worth having conversations with people in the town who own properties and try and negotiate with them.
Hilary Farrell of the Bandon Business Association (BBA) told The Southern Star that they have been actively looking for more parking to be made available in Bandon.
‘Since the release of the plans for TPREP we have been canvassing for more parking,’ she said.
Meanwhile, the next stage of the TPREP plan will concentrate on Bridge Street and Bridge Lane. It involves the installation of a new watermain, utility upgrade, kerbs, paved footways, new public lighting, and new street furniture and is expected to last five months. Works will pause on December 1st for Christmas and resume in early January.
