A year ago few of us had ever heard of a parklet, but now they are popping up all over Drogheda and are proving to be a great addition to the life of the town.
Over the last few months Love Drogheda BID have been busy working with Louth County Council and City Booth, the Collon based company that constructs them, to give the hospitality sector a boost through the creation of a number of parklets across Drogheda.
Parklets were first seen in San Francisco in 2005 as a way of creating small oases of calm in the busy streets by using car parking spaces for public seating.
They are relatively new to Ireland and have grown rapidly as an ideal solution to provide safe outdoor seating for visitors and residents of our town to meet up with friends in an attractive outdoor setting.
The Chairperson of Love Drogheda, Niall Kierans, said: “The parklets have created a new sense of welcoming in the town and are an opportunity for people to meet up in an outdoor setting.
“They contribute to the vibrancy of the town which hopefully will assist in the recovery of business activity. They give the clear message that Drogheda is open for business and all are welcome”
BID CEO Trevor Connolly commented ”parklets convert a small number of parking spaces or portions of loading bays into open space and are a cost-effective way to create more vibrant streets, support local business, and provide an inviting green space for residents and passers-by to sit, relax, and interact”
The Parklets are funded through a grant provided by the National Transport Authority and provided by Love Drogheda BID to business premises along with a Section 254 Licence issued by Louth County Council. The parklet partners are responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of the parklet and its additional planting.
Pictured at the parklet outside Epik Café on North Quay are (from left): Niall Kierans (Chairperson Love Drogheda BID), Carmel Crawford (Proprietor Epik Café), Kenneth Molloy (Owner of City Booth Ltd), Trevor Connolly (CEO Love Drogheda BID), Colette Moss (Louth County Council).
Colette Moss of Louth County Council explained that the parklets are funded through a grant from the National Transport Authority and this is part of a suite of funding that has been used to animate and create new seating areas in Drogheda.
“This project has been driven in collaboration between Louth County Council and Love Drogheda BID” she said.
Carmel Crawford, proprietor of Epik Café on the North Quay said she was delighted to have a parklet located beside her business.
“You now see people coming, sitting, meeting up with friends and having a chat over a coffee and a pastry, it’s brilliant to see people back in our wonderful town and long may it continue through the summer.”
Parklets will initially be in place for one year in line with the Section 254 Licence. After that they will be evaluated to consider whether they should be kept in place for another year, or moved to a new location.
We hope that this initiative will help create a positive atmosphere within the town and provide attractive animation and seating for visitors to our town.
