Calls for a ‘customer and staff parking only’ at shopping area

RECENT changes at Castletymon Shopping Centre have led to improvements with major Centra refurbishments, new signage for Macari’s, and the council’s enhancement project for the public realm and parking space.

However, parking can be a premium at times, especially when private cars are left there all day long.

Cllr Mick Duff (Ind), a local resident, said liaisons with local business owners at the centre indicate that some car owners are parking there early in the morning, and heading to school or elsewhere for the day.

At the Tallaght area committee on June 23, Cllr Duff asked the council to install ‘Customer and Staff Parking Only’ signage in an effort to prevent “non-customer car owners from occupying car-park spaces, on an all day basis.”

In response, SDCC said the installation of this signage is “not enforceable under current regulations and therefore, is not recommended.”

“An alternative option would be to consider including this area in the next review of the parking bye-laws for potential inclusion in a Pay and Display parking scheme,” said SDCC.

Pay and Display would “take away” the benefit of a service that has “always been free” according to Cllr Duff.

“It’s a good community facility, and it’s a shopping centre car park, but this parking problem is not helping.

“Business owners say people that are not using the shopping centre are parking there early and going to school or on a bus, using it like a park and ride. This is having a detrimental effect on some of the businesses who rely on older clients who try and park as close as possible.”

Communication between a car owner and shop owner led to the latter receiving a “tirade of abuse” and Duff feels the business owners who pay rates “deserve some help.”

“During the discourse at the meeting I suggested the council could consider a loading bay element which could be outside one of the businesses. All schools in the area have their own parking. I hope to see this sorted out by the end of August before normal business resumes.”