NOTE: The stories below are in reverse chronological order - the most recent at the top of the page

Fair Green parking plan would be 'act of vandalism'

NAAS, 28 July 2000: 9.30am by Trish Whelan. Turning the historic Fair Green area into a car park would be ‘an act of vandalism’ according to Ger McCarthy (above) of Naas Local History Group. But he believes ‘powerful forces’ are at work to make it happen. He was speaking to KNN after he had spoken strongly against the idea at a meeting of residents of the Fair Green and Lakelands areas.

“The Fair Green is one of the few historical sites left in Naas that have not been developed,” he says, noting that it was the site of a British military barracks in 1770 prior to the large barracks later built on the Newbridge Road. And he says drawings of the Fair Green structure are still in existence.

Part of the Fair Green wall may date to around the time of the 1798 Rebellion. The military area was defined by a number of tall stones which still exist within the wall and around the green and which bear the inscription OB (Ordnance Board). One of the stones (left), just inside the outer wall, was broken by vandals last year and Ger has repeatedly, and without success, asked Naas UDC to have it repaired. That stone, uniquely, has a Bench Mark which used to be used for levelling purposes.

Naas UDC received a Civic Award in 1979 from Bord Failte and the Royal Town Planning Institute for the way the Fair Green was preserved and designed as a public green area.

Meanwhile, following Wednesday night’s packed meeting of local residents in Ballycane Church, a petition is being circulated throughout Naas and will be presented to UDC councillors saying that residents of the town are ‘totally opposed’ to the concept of converting public green spaces into car parks.

A further meeting for local residents is planned for Ballycane Church on Wednesday 9 August, at 9pm. A public protest event for Naas people is to be organised prior to the 19 September meeting of Naas UDC. The Lakelands residents are also going to seek permission for a delegation to address the council at that meeting.

Lt Col John Ryan of Lakelands Residents Association (left) said the proposal to make the Swimming Pool Field into a car park, as recommended by Cllr Pat O’Reilly, ‘is not a runner’ and this was the message that should go out from the meeting. He asked those present to make their views known to their local councillors and TDs as ‘it is people power at the end of the day that will make the difference’. Highlighting the strength of feeling about the issue, he said one local woman has threatened to ‘lie down in front of a bulldozer’ to stop such work. “We must take the initiative in this matter and say NO,” he said. “If we don’t, it will become a fait accomplit.”

Cllr Charlie Byrne, the only councillor present at the meeting, said he was there to ‘safeguard the old Naas where he was born and reared’. He said he had been shocked when the list of possible parking areas was put to the council. And he said he had been told by ‘a certain council official’ that the amenity area beside the lakes on the Ballymore Road would either become a playground or a car park ‘whether he liked it or not’. “I have no objection to a playground, but where are we to put playgrounds if the green areas are taken over for cars?” he asked.

Asked to convey the feeling of the meeting to his fellow council members, Cllr Byrne said since his stance against the Town Development Plan he has generally been ignored by them. But he pledged his opposition to any green site which may come up for a material contravention decision.

Joe McDonald from Tower View said he believed the deal on the Fair Green and Swimming Pool Field ‘has already been done’. Chris O’Neill, chairman of Sunday’s Well Residents Association, said not all of the 13 nominated potential sites were in public ownership, and so may not be available to the UDC. He said the town does not have a car parking policy. Noting that he was himself a cyclist, he said if people are to use alternative means of transport, they must be provided for.

One woman asked why the main UDC car park had been sold off to private enterprise and why two multistorey car parks were to be built at the same time. This prompted a query from Ger McCarthy if proper tendering procedures had been used at the time of the Corban’s Lane deal. Former councillor Teresa Scanlon (right), who retired at the end of the previous council's term, recalled that six tenders had been received for that property, but officials had said only one was acceptable. She had asked for copies of the other five, but had not been given them.

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Green areas would be cheaper for car parks

NAAS, 26 July 2000: 1.00pam by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. An analysis of the estimated costs of developing alternative car park sites around Naas makes it clear that Naas UDC would favour covering existing green areas because of financial grounds.

The cost per car of developing these areas ranges from £1,832-£2,133 per car space, compared to £5,103-£8,500 per car space for commercial and other in-town sites.

In addition, turning areas such as the Swimming Pool Field and the Fair Green (above) into car parks (841 spaces combined) would provide substantially more parking facilities than are available in other locations, which would accommodate between 20 (Parish Church lawn frontage) and 125 (Friary Road monastery garden). Two other locations, the Ballymore Road (296 spaces) and the Rathasker Heights corner (140 spaces) are less favourable because they are 700 metres and 400 metres walking distance respectively from the town's business centre.

Town engineer Tom Cuddy told last week's monthly meeting of the UDC that temporary surfaces could not be used on any of the proposed sites, because there would be public liability implications. "All costings are based on permanent surfaces," he told councillors.

The issue of using green spaces to provide alternative parking while private developers build multi-storey facilities on the current UDC car parks at Corban's Lane and Sallins Road has raised considerable anger in Naas, particularly among residents around Lakelands and the Ballymore Road area.

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Car parking meeting tonight likely to be stormy

NAAS, 26 July 2000: 8.30am by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. A public meeting tonight in Ballycane Church to discuss a proposal that the Swimming Pool Field in Naas be used as a car park is likely to hear strong criticism of planning in the town. The meeting, organised by Lakelands Residents Association, is scheduled for 9pm, and according to Lt Col John Ryan (above) of the association, feelings against the plan are running very high. He said he has already spoken to the chairman of the UDC, Cllr Pat O'Reilly, and asked for a meeting with him and his councillors as soon as possible.

Cllr O'Reilly (left) made the original proposal that the field, which is owned by Kildare County Council, should be acquired by the UDC for use as a car park. Last week he said he 'stood by' his original motion. The field is one of six green areas identified as potential car parking areas while development work is being carried out on the town's existing car parks at Corban's Lane and Sallins Road, which are being transferred to private developers.

A leaflet being circulated in Lakelands describes the proposals for using green space for car parking as 'lunatic'. Lt Col Ryan told KNN yesterday he had received expressions of support from other residents' associations in the area, and he intends to gather further support from those affected by suggestions for other green areas to be used as car parks. "I have also been in touch with An Taisce, as there are archeological and heritage implications in using both the Swimming Pool Field and the Fair Green, which is also being proposed."

KNN understands that these concerns include a belief that a force of Spanish soldiers sent to help in an Irish rebellion was slaughtered at the site, which is also one of the original 'moats', or fortified sections of Naas.

Meanwhile, one of the area's councillors has strongly distanced himself from the proposals, saying the current row is directly related to the plans to hand over the town's car parks for development by private enterprise. Cllr Charlie Byrne (see story below) said he would never have supported those moves if he had known 'every green space' in the town would be turned into a car park as a result.

[ED NOTE: the inclusion of KNN's website address 'for information' on the above-mentioned leaflet was done at the Lakelands association's own instigation, as KNN had broken the story of reaction. It does not indicate a KNN involvement in the matter beyond reporting the issues.]

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Naas car parks row result of 'big mistake' by UDC

NAAS, 25 July 2000: 5pm by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. A UDC councillor says the present rising anger (see KNN yesterday) over potential car park sites in green areas in Naas is a direct result of a ‘a big mistake’ by the council when it agreed to lease the town’s main car park on Corban’s Lane to private enterprise.

The proposals for alternative car parking options as revealed at last week's UDC meeting for July has infuriated local residents and community associations

Cllr Charlie Byrne now believes the UDC should have put up the money itself to build a multi-storey facility in its car park at Corban’s Lane ‘without the trimmings of shops and a hotel’, or else should have sought an investor to build it.

“We weren’t told at the time we made the decision to lease that they would have to turn every bit of green area in Naas into a car park to support this development. Had we been given that kind of information, no way would I have supported it.

“We listened to officials. Officials give us a line and you go down the line - but I’m not taking their advice on this one because this is crazy,” he told KNN this afternoon.

Cllr Byrne said the only information previously given was that Hederman’s Yard was to be used as a car park during construction work at Corban’s Lane. “I had no problem with that - but nobody would forgive us if the green areas were turned into car parks.”

He said the Fair Green and Swimming Pool Field (above), being considered for car parking, ‘is the only green vista people in the area can see when they get up in the mornings’. “Words couldn’t describe this type of bombshell if it were to hit Naas. People would want to get out of the town if every green space was gone.’

Cllr Byrne said he wanted it highlighted that he is the only sitting member of Naas UDC to have voted against the Naas Development Plan last May. “This is like the Development Plan rows all over again, and I want it clear where I stand on this issue.”

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Growing town anger over 'green area' parking proposals

NAAS, 24 July 2000: 8.30am by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. Naas UDC faces a rising tide of anger from town residents over proposals to take over public green spaces for use as car parking, presented in a plan at last week’s meeting of the council. This weekend, residents bluntly told the authority: ‘hands off our green areas’.

Among the sites suggested are the Fair Green (above), strongly favoured by town clerk Declan Kirrane, and the Swimming Pool Field, which UDC chairman Pat O’Reilly has vigorously promoted as a car parking area in recent months.

In all, six of 13 sites identified for parking by town engineer Tom Cuddy are public green spaces, including Our Lady’s Place and the area bordering the end of the lakes on the Ballymore Road.

Lakelands residents say they will fight any proposal for a car park in the Swimming Pool Field as suggested by Cllr O’Reilly. They are also totally opposed to the use of the Fair Green for car parking. “This is not acceptable under any circumstances,” Lt Col John Ryan (above) of Lakelands Residents Association told KNN. “This land is a public amenity, but they want a car park slap bang in the middle of it. Apart from taking over one of the town’s few green spaces, it is already a nightmare trying to exit our estate each morning and then face the Fair Green junction with the existing traffic levels. A car park capable of 600 cars on top of all that doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Lt Col Ryan added that that motorists simply wouldn’t park there anyway to shop down town. “People won’t change their habits, and this is clear from hospital staff refusing to park in Ballycane church car park during renovations to the hospital, despite the fact that a shuttle bus service has been laid on.”

He is also scathing about how the current available UDC car park in the town centre (above) ‘is about to be turned into a shopping complex’. He believes the management of the town is ‘appallingly bad’ with decisions being made in a ‘ham-fisted’ manner. “You wonder do they know their jobs?”

Lt Col Ryan said Lakelands people 'had paid top dollar' for their homes and had maintained their estate when the council could not, or would not, do so and the authority had no right to do what was suggested with the Swimming Pool Field. And he noted that despite several requests from the residents, it had been impossible to get a simple tarmacadam walkway from the bottom of the field up to the Swimming Pool road, despite the fact it has been used as a short cut for years.

Denis Hanly, who lives on the Ballymore Road across from the lakeside UDC amenity land (above) also under consideration, says the council ‘can think again’ if they want to park cars on that site. And his views are supported by other residents of the area. “They wouldn’t put a playground there years ago and there’s few enough of them in the town. It would be terrible if it was made a car park. It’s extensively used as an amenity area.”

Former member of Naas UDC Donal Corcoran, in an email to KNN today (see below) asks where is the proper planning that allows developments to be carried out in the town’s two main car parks. “Where is the proper planning and development in the provision of adequate parking while this development is going on, without vandalising our existing open spaces,” he wonders. “Who is doing the planning and development in this town? Planners? Councillors? or Developers!”

Town resident Chris O’Neill also emailed KNN to express his ‘disgust’ at the proposals. “Why not simply tar everything, including all the front gardens in the town?” he asks. “It is only the foolish who still try to facilitate cars in towns. The wisdom throughout Europe, learned through bitter and costly failure, is that cars are not suited to the centres of towns. Towns work best when used by pedestrians, cyclists and buses.”

Councillors will consider further the proposals at their next meeting, scheduled for the end of September. Among the other areas identified as a potential parking site is the lawn area in front of the Parish Church (below).

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'Surprised and amazed' at car parking plans

NAAS, 24 July 2000:

Dear Editor,

I was surprised and amazed to see in your recent report that Naas UDC is considering car parking facilities on a vast array of open spaces in Naas. And this is just 12 months after they adopted the Development Plan for the town that was supposed to determine how the town would develop over the next five years.

The making and adoption of a Development Plan is the one area of Local Government where councillors can have a real say on how our town develops. All proposed developments then have to conform to this plan and this ensures orderly development. In the past this is what was done when the planning was for the general good of the town. Land was set aside for public housing and playing fields many years ago and we are now seeing the wisdom of past councils bearing fruit. Appropriate parcels of land were designated for various developments such as industrial, housing, commercial etc. All of this was done by the councillors with advice from the planning officials.

It had been recognised nationally that Naas was a well developed and maintained town, in that it won the National Tidy Towns award for large towns, four years in a row. But what is happening now? It seems that developers are setting the agenda. It is crazy planning to be bringing in so much development into areas of the town that are already inadequately served with parking facilities, and where, because of the upwards of 2000 children attending school there, past councils for safety reasons were always very careful of the development that was allowed.

Where is the proper planning that allows developments to be carried out on our two main car parks? Where is the proper planning and development in the provision of adequate parking while this development is going on, without vandalising our existing open spaces. Who is doing the planning and development in this town? Planners? Councillors? or Developers! Who should be doing the planning on our behalf?

Well, let's see them doing it. If they (councillors) don't live up to their responsibility, developers will ruin our town. Future generations will not thank them for reneging on their duties to the electorate.

Yours sincerely,

Donal Corcoran
Lakeside Park, Naas.
(former member of Naas UDC)

'Disgusted' at car parking plans

NAAS, 24 July 2000:

Dear Editor,

I read your article re parking with disgust. Why not simply tar everything including all the front gardens in the town! Naas does not need any more parking facilities. The idea that it does arises from a wrongheaded and inane approach.

Before a single extra space is provided, charges for parking must be introduced at a high enough level to make all-day parking prohibitive. Services to other users of the town also need to be in place, in particular cycle lanes and traffic calming.

It is past time that the realisation dawned on all those responsible that it is not possible to provide "enough" parking. No town or city in the world has ever managed to do so and Naas will not succeed either. The success of an effective car parking regime can be seen in Dublin where there is now parking available throughout the day. The result of a high-price policy and the excellent work of those urban heroes THE CLAMPERS. The next logical step which is now in hand in Dublin is the closure of parking spaces in multi-storey parking lots.

The wise learn from the mistakes of fools. It is only the foolish who still try to facilitate cars in towns. The wisdom throughout Europe , learned to bitter and costly failure, is that cars are not suited to the centres of towns. Towns work best when used by pedestrians, cyclists and buses.

I write this letter knowing that my views will be ignored and regarded as "cranky" or "green". I also know that in four or five years’ time my view will hold sway and I simply want to be able to point to the public record to be able to say to those who are going to make this further mess of Naas "I told you so !"

Chris O Neill

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Green areas proposed for parking in bid to ease Naas crisis

NAAS, 20 July 2000: 9.30am by Brian Byrne. Six public green areas are among 13 identified possible car parking locations which were presented to Naas UDC councillors at their monthly meeting this week. The list was prepared in an effort to ease the parking situation in Naas while construction gets underway for multi-storey car parks on the two main UDC car parks. It provoked mixed reactions with claims expressed it could change the face of Naas.

A total of 13 locations have been identified by town engineer Tom Cuddy who said financial costings given with each were based on permanent structures. He said he had considered all possible sites which are not currently built on, regardless of the development process. Some would require material contravention of the Town Development Plan.

“It’s going to change the landscape and the face of Naas if any of the areas listed come on stream,” UDC chairman Cllr Pat O’Reilly said while Cllr Charlie Byrne felt it would take every inch of breathing space out of Naas. He was astounded to see one potential location as being on the green area in front of the parish church. He said barriers would have to be erected on any car parking sites to keep out travellers and this would not improve the image of the town. “I would have nothing to do with it,” he said.

The proposed car parks include Hederman’s Yard (above), Ballymore Road green area, swimming pool field, New Row, the Monastery Garden at Friary Road (which is zoned commercial), an extension to the Church car park on the Sallins Road and at the front of the Church; the front of St Mary’s College, the green space at the front of Our Lady’s Place (below); green space at the front of Rathasker Heights (which could fit 140 cars and which is on offer to the UDC), the field on Corban’s Lane beside Naas CBS Secondary School as well as land at Devoy Barracks.

Cllr Seamie Moore said he could not see any further expansion of the convent car park at the church and he would be ‘loathe’ to discuss the front of St Mary’s College being used as a car park. “Our Lady’s Place residents would be harbouring a major grudge if they thought we were looking at putting a car park there.”

Cllr Pat McCarthy said it was a ‘depressing’ document but it was an effort to outline options open to the Council. He said now was the time to take another look at Council policy to restrict commercial development to the town centre.

Cllr Willie Callaghan said some of the locations could be ideal for temporary use - but not at the suggested costings on the list. Cllr Anthony Egan said he had been against the selling off of the Council’s car parks without an Environmental Impact Study being undertaken. He said underground car parking should be part of any future developments in the town.

Cllr Pat O’Reilly stood over his original motion some months ago that the UDC should seek the swimming pool field (above) for a car park. (The motion was subsequently amended, substituting 'community use' for 'a car park'). This, he said, would give 600 car parking spaces. He would have difficulty with the other areas mentioned on the list.

The engineer will report back to the September meeting of the Council.

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Few extra car spaces from major new development

NAAS, 12 June 2000: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. Naas may only gain 57 extra parking spaces for general use from the proposed development by Baba Exports Ltd which includes a multi-storey car park, shops, offices and apartments. The property involved is a combination of lands owned by businessmen Tom Treacy and Joe Mallon, and the UDC’s existing Sallins Road Car Park (above), which must be acquired by the developer for the project to proceed.

After a five-month examination, Naas UDC last week gave permission for the development, which includes a three-storey car park in the centre section, providing a total of 565 car parking spaces.

Of these, 24 are allocated to the residential units in the development, 135 to the offices, and 159 to the retail units in the project. This leaves 247 for general use. The existing UDC car park holds 144 cars, with another ten spaces used on the road outside, these latter not likely to be available under a future traffic management regime for the area. Calculating from the above, it would seem that there’s a net gain of 83 car spaces for the area for general use.

However, in the Environmental Impact Study provided with the application, the planned pedestrianisation of Poplar Square is given as one reason for the need for the car park. This plan means that up to 36 car parking spaces will disappear, leaving the net gain from the multi-storey car park at just 57 spaces.

In the meantime, the developer has gained permission for a major development in the centre of Naas, along with an implicit promise of getting the UDC car park because the approved scheme has retail and apartment units on what is currently the UDC land. The developer also has an earlier permission for a public house on an adjoining holding.

However, Naas UDC ‘has made no deal, formally or informally, with Baba Developments in relation to the transfer of the UDC property to the developer’, according to town clerk Declan Kirrane (right).

In addition, no agreement has been made between the UDC and the developer over who will control and gain the receipts from the multi-storey car park, but it is highly unlikely that it will be owned by the UDC as it will be constructed by the developer.

Perceived benefits to the UDC other than extra car parking spaces include the provision of a link road between the Sallins Road and the Dublin Road by the developer, and a significiant but not yet calculated increase in rates revenue.

Because the public will have to pay for parking, it is possible that multiple use of car spaces will be greater, thus increasing the benefit from them. But this would equally apply to the existing parking spaces, as the UDC is committed to introducing charges anyway.

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Corban's Lane Car Park

NAAS, 16 March 2000:

Dear Editor,

You are to be commended for highlighting a number of important questions regarding the proposed sale of the Corban's Lane car park in Naas. As one of the minority of Councillors who voted against it, I was amazed at the lack of consideration given to any other options.

I am also deeply concerned as to the potential hazards that such a large volume of traffic may pose for the children attending the two large schools in the vicinity. I can assure you that the Councillors had no idea how this problem may be avoided when they voted on the proposal.

It seems to me that the majority of Naas councillors are prepared to vote for a 'pig in a poke'.

Yours sincerely,
Pat McCarthy, Member of Naas UDC,

View of Naas Car Park 'sell-off'

NAAS, 13 March 2000:

Dear Editor,

Do you remember the note you carried previously from me on this [Naas Car Park] issue when the car parks sell-off was first mooted? KNN back then carried my comments on the revenue income and the way the UDC seemed to be putting this venture before the people it was supposed to be serving.

But another sting in the tail was that up until recently there were tax incentives for public private partnerships that would have allowed the UDC to maintain ownership of the car park while getting it built via private capital. The resulting facility has a shared revenue stream and then after a set period is passed into the full ownership of the public entity. I heard at a public tendering day recently that there have been a number of these public private partnerships.

This is the way Tallaght hospital I am informed had their car park built. For further details you might contact Tallaght or the Revenue Commissioners. I wonder how many public amenities could have been funded by this revenue stream?

A further comment I note you report: "Naas UDC chairman Seamie Moore confirmed yesterday that the carpark in St Corban's will be operated by the developers, who will set the charges and keep the revenue taken. But he said it will be part of the agreement that the developers charges 'will relate to' those being set by the UDC for their own on street car parking plan this year."

Do you remember your previous report in KNN where the town clerk talked about setting town rates to encourage people to us the car park. Is this the relationship Cllr Moore was referring to ?

Which comes first - the chicken (developer) or the egg (UDC) within this circle? If the developers increase their prices, the UDC will automatically increase their prices to always ensure that on street parking is more expensive than the car park! Whose interests are being served here? The Public's apparently aren't

On another matter, I hear that the highlighting of the issue of the harbour in KNN may be bringing about a change in mind on the part of the UDC. Both myself and my wife have been stopped on the street of Naas and told by people that they are going to ring the UDC on the issue and some are now being told that the issue is being readdressed.

Keep up the good work,

John Kavanagh.

UDC selloff could forfeit Naas £466K+ annually

NAAS, 9 March 2000: EXCLUSIVE by Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. Naas UDC may have forfeited up to £466,000 a year in potential revenue, by agreeing to sell its Corban's Lane town centre car park (above) to private developers planning to build a 400-plus multi-storey car park, shops and a hotel. The developers stand to clear that amount each year, after paying the council just £25,000 from the parking revenue, as agreed by the two parties in legal documents now being prepared. The payment to the UDC will be adjusted annually by the rate of inflation only.

The UDC currently has some 200 spaces in the car park, at the moment free to motorists, and the alternative to the private development would be for the UDC to build their own multi-storey car park. Given the potential revenue, the authority could have raised a bank loan for the project (as Kildare County Council raised a loan for the new Bond Bridge in Maynooth, to be repaid out of development levies).

The £466,000 figure is based on a calculation of charges for parking by the developer at 30p per hour (ED:a probable average charge over the first few years), for 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and then assuming a 75% occupancy. The developers - McDermott and O’Farrell - have agreed to keep open for public use a minimum of 400 car parking spaces between the hours of 9am and 12pm, Monday to Sunday inclusive.

Even if the annual usage of the car park is just 50% - an unlikley situation given the current severe shortage of car parking in Naas - the council would forfeit earnings of potentially over £302,000 a year by allowing the private development.

The £25,000 a year, over the period of a 999-year lease, is in addition to a £142,000 payment for 10 years, representing the capital payment being made by the developers to the UDC for the Corban’s Lane site. This has been regarded by many as a ‘selling of the family jewels’ for a quick gain by the council.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a question as to whether the developer can actually provide the number of car parking spaces required by the UDC under the Naas Development Plan, as the council has incorporated a planning condition that would allow for a ‘car parking levy’ to be charged if this number cannot be provided. This seems at odds with the section where the developers ‘covenant’ to keep 400 spaces for public use. (And there is some question as to whether planning conditions can be incorporated in a long-term lease agreement in advance of a planning application.)

The Corban’s Lane development is one of two proposals for the UDC to effectively sell its car parks to private developers - the second is on the Sallins Road. Naas town clerk Declan Kirrane told KNN that no contract has yet been signed between the UDC and the developers, and no planning application has yet been lodged in respect of the development. “Discussions between the legal representatives of both sides are currently taking place.”

Naas UDC chairman Seamie Moore (right) confirmed yesterday that the carpark in St Corban's will be operated by the developers, who will set the charges and keep the revenue taken. But he said it will be part of the agreement that the developers charges 'will relate to' those being set by the UDC for their own onstreet carparking plan this year.

NOTE: On-street car parking in Dublin is currently 80p per hour, while private car parks are charging upwards of £1.60 per hour. Private car parks in Naas are currently charging 50p per hour.

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