KildareNet News

NAAS 29 March 2003: Naas Town officials are facing a serious grilling this coming Wednesday over work which was commenced without reference to the councillors on the Fair Green, and which has been described as a 'creeping takeover' of the green for car parking.

Bulldozers moved in last week and cleared a space where the fire brigade engines used to drive in to the old station under the Water Tower. When Cllr Mary Glennon asked town engineer John McGowan at last Tuesday's meeting what was going on, she was told 'we're just putting in a few car parking spaces'.

"But now I've been told by the town clerk that 20-30 spaces are planned," Cllr Charlie Byrne told KNN this weekend. "The first I knew of it was when I was approached by one of the residents in the four cottages going up by the Water Tower. She said they had enough through traffic already going to the swimming pool, and cars parked outside their own houses every day."

Cllr Byrne said it was a 'creeping in' onto the Fair Green to make it an eventual car park for the hospital. "They're doing it this way to see what kind of reaction they'll get. Well, they'll know all about it next Wednesday evening."

Cllr Byrne said he was told by an official that 'four little houses aren't going to stop car parking' and he commented that if there was 204 houses, maybe it wouldn't be done.

"It is bully boy tactics, and the annoying part for me is that I have to go out on the street and learn from the people there about what's going on. They should have told the councillors before they commenced the work, but it's the old, old story - we're all right to help them buy or sell property, or give them material contraventions, and after that we have to depend on the general public to know what's going on."

KNN understands that the Fair Green is listed as a historical area, and there may well be ramifications for the council over the work which has already been carried out in this matter and in terms of planning permission. Town clerk Declan Kirrane is on record as saying he is in favour of the Fair Green being used for a public car park.