Concern over number of public parking spaces in the Kildare-Newbridge MD

A Kildare county councillor was unhappy with a response to one of her motions submitted at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD) meeting.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Suzanne Doyle voiced her dissatisfaction in the reply from Kildare County Council (KCC) at the MD meeting, which was held on Wednesday, March 20 last.

She put forward the following question at the meeting: "Can KCC provide a report on the number of public parking spaces in key towns within the MD, with a recommendation on what the optimum level should be having regard to the dynamics of population, primacy of town centre and commercial sector in each town?"

KCC offered the following response in its report at the meeting: "There are no Key Towns in the Kildare-Newbridge MD.

"Table 2.8 of the CDP identifies the Key Towns of Naas and Maynooth in accordance with the RSES for the Eastern Midlands Region, while Car Parking Standards for new developments are set out in Chapter 15 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029 adopted by the Elected Members in December 2022."

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KCC continued: "The Kildare County Development Plan 2023 to 2029 contains a number of objectives in respect of the promotion of our town centres as our primary retail centres.

"Furthermore, a number of other strategies and guidelines are in place to promote town centres including the Retail Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area, the Kildare 2025 Economic Development Strategy, Retail Planning Guidelines and the Town Centre First policy."

The council added that a number of these policies and guidelines 'identify the objective of facilitating a shift towards increased access to retailing by public transport, cycling and walking.'

KCC further said: "While the provision of parking, both public and privately run, is recognised as an important element in assisting visitors to town centres, it is not the most appropriate measure to create buoyant town centres.”

"The County Development Plan outlines car parking standards for categories of proposed development including retail and commercial development, but parking is generally discouraged for town centres, in particular where development is close to or can avail of public transport," KCC concluded.

However, Cllr Doyle told KCC that she did not accept the response to her motion.

“The ‘Key Towns’ comment is a bit smart,” she said: “Where are the number of car-parking spaces (listed), and the number from the last two reviews?”

Cllr Doyle continued: “It is counter-productive not to provide the (number of) car parking spaces.

“I want to send this question back to be properly responded to.”

Donal Hodgins, an engineer with KCC who was present at the meeting, told Cllr Doyle: “If we provide an answer to this question (again), it will take away from a lot of time and resources.”

“We can respond in the short-term, but it will deviate from another project,” he added.

Cllr Doyle told Mr Hodgins that she insisted on a new response to her motion.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Suzanne Doyle (File photograph).