*Frances Street. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
PLANS to improve Frances Street in Kilrush are in the offing while the Kilrush town centre first plan is at draft stage
Meetings have been held between senior staff in the West Clare Municipal District and the Kilrush Chamber of Commerce with discussions centering on an overall plan for Frances Street.
Senior executive officer in the West Clare MD, John O’Malley has met with representatives of the Kilrush Chamber. “We have started meeting with the Chamber who have ramped up in recent times,” he stated. In January, a public meeting took place as part of efforts to renew the Kilrush Chamber and West Clare Business Association.
In a proposal before the West Clare MD, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) asked that the feasibility of introducing designated loading bays on Frances Street be examined “in order to facilitate the safe and efficient delivery of goods to businesses operating in the area”.
Alan Kennelly, senior executive engineer in the West Clare MD outlined, “The Kilrush Town Centre First plan is currently at Draft stage, having recently invited public observations and submissions”. The plan is a ten-year strategy aimed at revitalising Kilrush by tackling vacancy, enhancing public spaces, and boosting economic activity. He added, “The layout of the town centre and Frances Street will be addressed by the plan. Ultimately the layout of Frances Street may be altered in the medium-term”.
Kennelly explained “Loading bays are provided in parking areas to allow commercial goods vehicles to make deliveries to business premises located near those areas. Loading bays can only be used by vehicles which are categorised as a goods vehicle and are taxed commercially. A commercial goods vehicle can park free of charge in a loading bay for up to 30 minutes, while they are actively loading or unloading – i.e. they cannot park in the loading bay, or simply sit in the vehicle with the engine running. The hours of operation of the loading bay would be displayed on an information plate attached to an adjacent pole. Private vehicles cannot park in loading bays during the hours of operation. Outside the hours of operation of the loading bay, the prevailing parking regime would apply. I believe that the Road Traffic Acts and associated regulations may be used to designate a loading bay, but as Kilrush has parking bye-laws these might have to be amended”.
He added, “West Clare MD can look at providing designated loading bays if required. Obviously, every business wouldn’t get its own bay, and there is a consequent loss of parking spaces during the hours of operation of the bay, but if we knew the number of loading bays requested we could work with the businesses affected”.
Speaking at a meeting of the West Clare MD, Cllr McInerney commented, “Frances Street is a very busy street but it is very wide, there are particular days when it is hard to get parking but it is tighter, at the same time it is on those days when problems arise with deliveries and larger vehicles”.
She said, “One company that was delivering to shops ended up getting a ticket because of where they were parked, there is no loading bay in that central area, it would allow for more certainty on where the areas are and provide better transport links and route links in terms of how they move around the town for themselves”.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) recalled that Kilrush Town Council had previously reviewed parking bye laws. He said there are two existing loading bays on the street, outside Considine’s Bakery and AIB to which Cllr McInerney noted “they were specific ones”.
According to Cllr Lynch the existing bays allowed trucks to reverse back to the footpaths to facilitate an easier delivery and drop-off of goods. “The one outside the bank is maybe not realised, it was mainly for the army collecting money of a Friday,” he acknowledged.
Director of Service, Carmel Kirby suggested, “if it is an existing loading bay maybe it just needs some painting up” and Cllr Lynch explained, “it was done intentionally, it reverses into the kerb”. Efforts will be made to make the loading bays more visible, Kirby said, “If it just needs paint we can attempt to do that”.
