Council ‘blocking driveways’

PLANNERS have been criticised for blocking peoples’ efforts to widen their driveways and take cars off the streets.

Cllr Seán Martin (FF) raised the issue after hearing of a spate of cases where suburban residents had been refused planning permission to widen the entrance to their driveways.

He said all these residents were anxious that second family cars were being parked on the roads and could cause an obstruction.

In all cases, the residents applied to the council for planning permission to relocate their gate pillar so they could widen the drive entrance to allow two cars get in and out easily.

But Mr Martin said he was aware of at least four cases where such applications were turned down.

“There is a contradiction,” he said. “We’re turning down these applications where these people want to do us a service by taking a car off the road, while... we’re granting planning permission for two- and three-storey apartment blocks around the corner without half enough parking. We’re driving families out of the city.”

In one of the cases, the application was turned down because a 110-year-old wall would have been affected.

“If it’s a choice between getting a car off the street and 110-year-old wall, the wall should go,” he said.

Cllr Colm Burke (FG) said the city had made little progress in developing new park-and-ride sites.

“You won’t solve the parking problems until you solve the park-and-ride problem,” he said.

Rapid growth of institutions like Cork University Hospital, CIT and UCC have also added to parking problems in the suburbs, he said.