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The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) recommended that plans for a multi-storey car park in Killarney should be scrapped.
The planning watchdog made the recommendation in a submission to the proposed ‘Variation No 2’ of the Kerry County Development Plan 2022-2028 on July 10.
The proposed variation provides a new settlement plan for Killarney Municipal District, replacing the Killarney Town Development Plan and the Killarney Municipal District Local Area Plan.
The OPR noted that one objective of the proposed plan (KCDP KY-22) is to facilitate the provision of a multi-storey car park at an appropriate location in Killarney.
Kerry County Council management previously identified that the lower New Street Car Park, off Beech Road, would be a suitable site for a three-storey facility that would provide more than 500 spaces and cost almost €13 million.
The OPR noted that a section of the proposed variation states there is sufficient car parking within the town, with a total of 1,373 spaces in public car parks, and additional spaces available in private car parks and with on-street parking.
The OPR also noted the development of 139 parking spaces off Mission Road had been the subject of public consultation. This car park at Green Lawn was approved by Killarney councillors on August 13.
The Office said it is concerned the provision of a multi-storey car park in Killarney is not supported by the proposed variation’s Local Transport Plan for the town.
It said it is not consistent with national and regional policy objectives to improve air quality and integrate land use and sustainable transport.
The OPR recommended that the objective to facilitate the multi-storey car park should be omitted from the proposed plan.
It said parking options identified in the Local Transport Plan, including the review of pricing for car parking, provision of car parks on the arterial routes into the town centre and ensuring enforcement of parking restrictions, should be implemented.