Double parking and speeding safety hazard in Killeshandra

Concerns over speeding and pedestrian safety in Killeshandra were raised once again at this month’s Belturbet Municipal District meeting, with councillors calling for urgent measures to slow traffic through the town before a serious accident occurs.

Councillor Áine Smith (FF) said the issue had been repeatedly highlighted by local residents and elected members, particularly around the centre of the town around the Resource Centre.

“This is a motion that has been brought by myself and other members on many occasions,” Cllr Smith said. “Residents are very worried about the level of speeding happening up and down the town, and we want to make sure nothing bad comes out of it.”

She said residents had specifically requested a pedestrian crossing near the Resource Centre, where elderly people are living nearby and regularly crossing the road.

“For safety reasons, people would naturally slow down approaching a crossing, and it would make things much safer for pedestrians,” she suggested.

Cllr Smith asked the council for an update on a proposed speed survey and queried whether traffic calming measures such as ramps or other safety interventions could be introduced.

Supporting the motion, Cllr John Paul Feeley (FF) said safety concerns around the Resource Centre had existed for years and needed to be revisited. He noted that previous proposals for a road build-out in the town centre had faced opposition due to the potential loss of parking spaces.

"One person's idea of putting a practical solution in is another person's nightmare."

But he said public safety must remain a priority.

“There are people reversing and parking directly onto the road there, and it is dangerous,” he had observed. “Some sort of measure is needed.”

Councillors Brendan Fay, Patricia Walsh, Niamh Brady and Damien Brady also voiced their support for the motion, with Cllr Brady (SF) noting that while increased traffic indicated welcome business activity in Killeshandra, it also made the issue more pressing.

Responding on behalf of the council, Senior Executive Engineer Paul Mulligan acknowledged the concerns and confirmed a new survey would be carried out. He said parking constraints remained a major challenge when considering a pedestrian crossing, as crossings would inevitably remove parking spaces.

However, he confirmed that works are currently being designed for the area between Lakeland Dairies and the local shop to address unsafe parking and double parking.

Paul Mulligan also stressed that any ramps or traffic calming measures would affect "100% of the people 100% of the time" and thus need to be carefully planned and designed to ensure they are both effective and appropriate.

* This article was produced with support from the Local Democracy Scheme