Lakelands fury over parking situation

NAAS, 6 April 2002: by Trish Whelan. The failure of the efforts to have people use an alternative hospital car park in Naas was clearly shown on a recent Friday morning when KNN counted 108 cars parked around Lakelands estate compared to just six cars parked in the designated hospital parking area at Ballycane Church.

Long suffering residents of Lakelands blame staff of Naas General Hospital for much of the parking problems in their estate. Over 100 ‘extra’ cars use the estate as a car park each day. And despite the provision of a free shuttle from the Ballycane Church car park (pictured below, almost empty, on the same morning as the above pix from Lakelands), very few hospital workers or visitors use the facility.

Residents Assoc secretary Vonnie Murray believes around 50% of people who park in the estate are hospital staff who don’t use the car park provided by Naas Hospital up the road at Ballycane Church. The Hospital provides a regular shuttle bus service to and from the car park for staff.

Comments flew over the parking situation at the recent AGM of Lakelands Residents Assoc attended by Michael Knowles of Naas General Hospital, and Superintendent Tom Neville of Naas Garda Station.

Superintendent Neville told the attendance that unless vehicles are causing an obstruction, the owners cannot be prosecuted. And he said the gardai can do little about cars parked on green areas as these areas are Council property and the owners are not committing a criminal offence by parking on them.

Vonnie Murray has described the green area bordering the main road as ‘a ploughed field’ from cars parking on it.

Superintendent Neville said gardai place cones on the Craddockstown Road every day to stop cars from parking there obstructing the view of drivers exiting Lakeland estate. They are also issuing tickets to vehicles parked where the cones are placed.

He believed more people are parking in Lakelands since the introduction of disc parking in the town. He pledged: “We will continue to do our utmost to ensure free passage of traffic in Lakelands until the situation is resolved.”

A plan agreed last year by residents, Naas Town Council and the gardai to allow for a 70-space temporary car park on some of the green area in Lakelands beside the hospital road, has not yet been acted upon.

Residents are demanding a wall with railings be erected to protect the estate. Supt Neville said disc parking would have to be in place for this 70 space car park if it was to work effectively.

“I’m not offering a solution,” he told those present, “but you should consider having disc parking in your estate, with exemptions for resident’s cars, which is allowed for in the Parking Bye-Laws,” the Superintendent advised the gathering.

One irate resident has described Lakelands as ‘a glorified car park’. “Cars have taken over our estate and the drivers get cross if you talk to them about it. We’ve gone through torture since last January two years and have been onto the Council, the hospital authorities, the gardai over the situation.”

She said cars have prevented bin lorries and oil tankers from being able to operate freely in the estate.

Vonnie Murray told how prospective house buyers often fail to keep appointments when they see all the cars parked in the estate.

She believes the situation has become worse since the cones were put on the main road. Other motorists, she said, are also parking in Lakelands to avoid disc parking in the town.

Naas Town Council officials were invited to attend the AGM but were unable to do so as it coincided with a meeting of the council.

A spokesperson for SWAHB said around 120 car parking spaces will become available in September/October when Phase One of the hospital extension is completed and this should help ease the problem in Lakelands.

©2002knn

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