Cork neighbours falling out over parking as housing shortage forces adult children to live at home

North Cork councillors are asking if green areas in the housing estates could be removed and utilised for more parking spaces

Cork County Council was told 'there can be up to four cars parked outside a three-bed semi-detached that has a driveway that can only accommodate one or two cars.' File picture: Larry Cummins

Long-standing friendships between neighbours in council estates are breaking down as adult children who cannot afford to move out add to mounting parking pressures, councillors have heard.

The issue is escalating in a number of local authority estates, with Cork County Council being urged to convert spare green areas into additional parking spaces to ease tensions.

Concerns have been raised by North Cork councillors and those representing the Carrigaline Municipal District.

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan said there are a number of older estates in Carrigaline with large green areas which should be utilised for more parking. “There are more younger people now living at home longer because they can’t afford to buy their own home or rent a property," he said. 

"There can be up to four cars parked outside a three-bed semi-detached that has a driveway that can only accommodate one or two cars. Then you multiply this situation throughout the estate and it's going to be very difficult to find any parking spaces."

Mr Donovan said there could be serious consequences allied to this.

“Ultimately constituents who've contacted me have relayed their concerns about emergency vehicles accessing their estate. By removing some of the green area for parking spaces, we can also free up the road for traffic and emergency vehicles,” Mr Donovan said.

“It would be great if the county council would adopt a pilot scheme in each [municipal district] to fund some works to take place every year. It should be targeted at estates that need some attention on this issue."

The issue was also raised at a meeting of North Cork councillors by Mitchelstown-based Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien.

She said it is not solely an urban problem in places such as Carrigaline, which, with a population of more than 20,000 people, is the biggest town in the county. She said similar problems have sprung up all over older council-owned estates in her region.

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Ms O’Brien pointed out that Fermoy Municipal District carried out pilot schemes in recent years to utilise sections of large green areas for additional parking.

At the time, the issue was raised by former Fermoy-based Fine Gael councillor, now TD, Noel McCarthy, who said neighbours he knew had fallen out over their children’s parking in local estates.

Ms O'Brien told the council's housing directorate boss Keith Jones to address the situation again on a countywide basis, emphasising that it is only going to get worse as young adults are staying longer at their family homes.

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