Residents angry at parking problems due to work on developments
By Maurice Garvey
PARKING problems exacerbated in estates by tradesmen working on new developments, needs enforcing by the local authority, according to Cllr Eoin Ó Broin (Ind), reports Maurice Garvey.
The Clondalkin Cllr cites recent conflict between builders and residents of Monastery Rise during the construction of a residential development of 21 units at the former Esso station on Monastery Road.
Work ongoing at the development on Monastery Road
Similar situations have arisen across the city, notably in residential streets in the vicinity of the build for the new Children’s Hospital in St James’s.
“For the apartment block on Monastery Road, it really annoyed residents, who would ring people like me, I contact gardai, traffic wardens, fines are issued, it is a waste of time,” said Cllr Ó Broin.
“My understanding is South Dublin County Council have powers to implement a traffic management plan before planning is approved. But it needs to be enforced.”
A Monastery Rise resident, who did not wish to give his name, said the work has been going on for two years, but has scaled down in recent months as it nears completion.
“Early days, an agreement was reached with Round Towers GAA Club to give them (builders) the option of parking, for a nominal fee, down the road in the club carpark, but they wouldn’t take it up.
“They parked across resident’s driveways, blocked bin lorry trucks. When Floraville and Laurel Park got parking meters, it exported the problem up to our estate, with people parking in the village and going into town. This was an issue in the estate before the construction.”
Cllr Ó Broin had a Motion on the issue at Monday’s council meeting, which has been moved forward to the January meeting.
It calls for a condition of planning permission of construction sites, to have an employee parking plan in place outlining where legal parking will occur without causing undue nuisance to local residents.
“Round Towers offered them space but in a sense, they don’t care,” said Cllr Ó Broin.
“The worst thing is residents are blocked in and visitors can’t park when they call by. Whether there was a traffic plan in place for this, I haven’t seen it, and if it did exist, it wasn’t followed up on.
A council spokesperson said: “With regard to general residential developments a developer may be conditioned to submit a traffic management plan prior to commencement of development and to keep existing roads / infrastructure free from debris during construction. These conditions would generally be for larger housing developments / commercial planning developments.
“One – off houses / domestic extensions may be conditioned to keep the existing roads free from debris but the council do not have the authority to condition builders in respect of parking their personal vehicles in an existing housing estate. If a builder parks their vehicle illegally it may be a matter for gardai to resolve.”
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