Calls to open old basketball court area for parking in Portlaoise
The old basketball courts area along Millview in Portlaoise that cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley is asking to be opened up to allow construction workers park their vehicles in.
LAOIS County Council is to consult with the owners of the old Covent school in Portlaoise to ask them to open up the old basketball court on their lands to allow construction workers park their vehicles on it.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley asked for such a meeting to take place due to construction workers parking their vehicles in the public car park at Millview so as to free up spaces for shop workers in the town to park.
She said that if permission was granted for the use of the old basketball court it would alleviate the shortage of parking spaces in Millview car park.
In reply the acting director of services in the council Paul McLoughlin said that the old basketball court is on private lands and outside the control of the council, but that he would “seek to explore the possibility of its use, or potential alternatives.”
Speaking to her motion at the November meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District Council cllr Dwane Stanley said that the problem with the parking in the Millview Car Park has been ongoing for the past number of weeks.
“The problem was brought to me about three weeks ago mainly by the people who are working in the town,” she said.
“They can’t get parking there because of the construction workers are using the car park. While I have no issue in the sense that they are doing valuable work on the Convent site, it has created a problem for people working in the town. They have absolutely nowhere to park.”
“Those who approached me came with a solution,” she said.
“The solution being, is to ask, whoever owns the property to open the old basketball courts area and allow the construction workers to park there.”
She said: “It’s not safe either the way they (construction workers) are parking. Around that area, by Church Street and Jessop Street there’s absolutely nowhere to park. I accept the land is in private ownership, but we’re coming up to Christmas. The situation for the past few weeks is that people working in the town cannot avail of parking. That has to be addressed very quickly.”
She again urged the council to approach the property owner, with the view of encouraging them to use the basketball court as a “temporary measure, until their work is done.”
Cllr Tommy Mulligan said that if there is an option to use the basket court area then it should be explored.
