Council told to address 'parking nightmare' in Castlebellingham

Louth County Council have been told to address what has been described as a "parking nightmare" in Castlebellingham. 

Sinn Féin councillor Pearse McGeough tabled a motion at the April meeting of the Ardee Municipal District calling for the local authority to "explore the option of an appropriate site for public parking" near the village centre.

Cllr McGeough told the meeting that parking on footpaths is a "daily occurrence" and said the "expansion of the village with houses under construction or planning is going to aggravate an already bad situation". 

"There has been a tradition in this country for a long number of years, that we build housing units and then look for infrastructure," he said.

The Sinn Féin councillor said the village cannot fulfil its full potential without adequate parking facilities. 

"Public parking in Castlebellingham is a priority and a necessity because without public car parking spaces, the village cannot reach its full potential and will mitigate against future investment," he said. 

Fianna Fáil councillor John Sheridan supported the motion and said there is "a lot of hope" for Castlebellingham but it needs parking facilities. 

"There's a lot of hope for Castlebellingham in terms of the houses being built and the CLÁR [funding] but you do need a form of parking.

I know everything in the last few years in terms of money has been Active Travel and getting away from cars, but you still have to have some parking to allow premises to flourish, particularly retail units." 

"If you’ve some sort of safe and secure parking I think that’s a worthy investment, not just in Castlebellingham but in other villages," he said. 

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Councillors Jim Tenanty and Rachel Kerley both raised concerns about commuters parking their cars in the village. 

Cllr Tenanty said Castlebellingham is "becoming a park and ride town". 

"There’s no space in the village and they’re moving out closer to the motorway and parking along the road side. 

We want people to share public transport going to work, but if we don't have the facility for them, then we’re to blame," he said.

While Cllr Kerley said the volume of commuters parking their cars in Castlebellingham is putting "more strain on the area"

In response to the motion, Louth County Council said the request for parking facilities "can be taken into consideration as part of the review of the County Development Plan". 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.