Parking wars as lack of spaces in new developments cause tensions
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What parking issues are residents facing in new developments?
Next, though, parking wars are breaking out in West Dublin because of a shortage of parking spaces in new developments. Notes have been left on cars with threats to slash tires. There are fears it will lead to conflict and antisocial behaviour. In a few moments, I'll speak with South Dublin County Councillor... Kay Keane and planning expert Tom Phillips. But just before coming on air, I spoke with Megan Butler, who's campaigning for more car parking spaces in the Carrigmore Estate in City West. She said she's suffering from a parking nightmare. I began by asking her what the problem is.
Yeah, so I'm sure, you know, there's a lot of new apartment developments going on, not just in Dublin, but countrywide. So this is hundreds of apartments that are being built. So what's happening then is the new development residents are left with no choice but to park their cars anywhere they can get it really, so there's nearby housing estates, public roads, and then it's just causing a heap of knock-on effects. So cars are blocking up narrow streets, they're parked up on curbs and footpaths. and that's then causing, you know, issues for emergency vehicles getting up and down these streets, bin trucks getting up and down these streets. It's causing mobility access issues then for people, you know, say someone who's blind, someone who uses a wheelchair.
The main thing is that it's upsetting, you know, long-term residents. So people who've been living in the area, people who've been living in the housing estates a long time, their housing estates have become car parks.
And they're not happy, understandably enough.
No, understandably not at all. It's causing aggro and conflict down between locals and arguments between them. Cars are being vandalised, wing mirrors are being smashed off.
How are conflicts arising from parking shortages affecting communities?
There's notes left on cars, stickers left on cars threatening to slash your tyres. People's cars are being scratched. One woman a couple of weeks ago told me that she was approached by a very angry man. And his anger is valid, I'd like to just say. His anger is valid, but it's coming out at the wrong people. The common thing now, you know, women are worried parking their cars at night time that they're going to be approached by very angry men.
And is there any alternative for you?
It's hard to know, to be honest. So like a lot of us, a lot of residents have been kind of back and forth with local councillors. They're pitching motions to the local authority to try and get some sort of solution going. It's looking like maybe the most viable option at this point is like a temporary parking hub. Something urgent and something just to get cars off of the streets.
Now, the argument is that the new planning regulations restricted the number of spaces in developments because obviously they want to discourage people driving cars. They want people on public transport. Is that an option?
Like, I can understand that. And, you know, we're all about the climate change and saving the planet. But the public transport infrastructure just hasn't kept pace. So they've built really high density housings. Like 100 apartments per hectare is really, really high density housing. And the public transport infrastructure in these areas has not kept up with that. So you can't justify it saying, well, you can use the public transport there because it's not good for purpose for the population.
OK, but you're in City West, so people will know the Lewis red line goes out to City West. And you must be fairly near the end of the line. So surely you can get a Lewis in the morning.
Yeah.
I do. And I am fairly near the end of the line. I'm two stops into the line and it's packed by the time it gets to me. So three or four stops in, people can't get on. And this is not peak time of travel. This is like half six in the morning before the rush hour. Four stops into your Lewis line, the Lewis is jammed. Absolutely jammed. And then there's two bus routes that operate in the area that would have the same issues. Like a lot of times, you know, there's ghost bus issues as well, but buses don't turn up.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What parking issues are residents facing in new developments?
0:00–1:49
2
How are conflicts arising from parking shortages affecting communities?
1:49–7:05
3
What solutions are residents proposing for parking problems?
7:05–11:13
4
How do new planning regulations impact parking availability?
11:13–14:33
5
What role does public transport play in the parking debate?
14:33–17:30