Sinn Fein Councillor Tom Cunningham has accused Louth County Council of ignoring the issue of illegal parking in Crooked Street, Clogherghead. He says that money that was supposed to have been spent on remedial work has been spent elsewhere.
Cunningham told yesterday’s Drogheda Borough meeting that illegal parking on the street, especially at busy times, is essentially blocking the way for Lifeboat volunteers should they be called out in a an emergency.
“Two week ago you could barely move on that road” he said. “If there was a shout for the lifeboat there was no way that the crew could have got through. We all know that in every emergency time is critical.
“Something has to be done, it cannot be left as it is, the Council cannot wash their hands of this. I will keep on raising this issue until something is done, we don’t want to see a life lost because of this.
Councillor Cunningham said: “there was €6,000 passed in the Low Cost Safety Scheme part of the 2020 road works Programme for Crooked Street.
“This money was to be spent on the traffic calming measures to alleviate the poor parking on this road which delays access to the lifeboat station and blocks any emergency service trying to get down this road he said.”
Councillor Cunningham has been seeking these measures for quite some time due to the location of the Lifeboat Station at the bottom end of that particular street. The road must be kept clear for emergency personnel to reach the Station in the case of an emergency and the life boat is to be launched.
He said that there is only a small section of the street with double yellow lines but there needs to be a lot more. He also suggested that the Council needs to work with the residents on the matter
Councillor Cunningham said: “despite the measures being included in the 2020 road works programme it was discovered that the money had been spent on a nearby beach car park and according to Cllr Cunningham.
“There were works carried out there a year previously that are of no addition to the flow of traffic to the Lifeboat Station” he said. In January Cllr Cunningham accused the Council of wasting this money.
Yesterday he told them they will not be allowed to wash their hands of this. I want that money spent on Crooked Street and will not rest until it’s done. Crooked Street is where it needs to be spent, without delay.”
