Accessing parking places in Ballina town centre is becoming increasingly difficult and it’s having a direct impact on local businesses and shoppers. That’s the view of local councillor John O’Hara.
The Fine Gael councillor raised the problem at this week’s monthly meeting of Ballina Municipal District and he called on council management to consider using a disused garden it owns at the back of Tesco, to provide additional parking places.
Parking spots have recently been removed from the Market Square area with the welcome development of the new Innovation Quarter in the town centre, 80 spaces have also been lost in Diamond’s car park with the new Aldi store.
Councillor O’Hara says elderly people often can no longer find parking close to local shops and are opting to shop in Swinford in some cases, where easy parking is available at Tesco.
He says daily he is met by local business people who say they are paying rates and yet their customer base is being eroded due to a lack of adequate convenient parking in the town centre.
Cllr O’Hara spoke to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about his proposal to open up the council garden behind Tesco as additional parking in the market square...