Concerns raised about ‘unacceptable’ number of caravans parked in retail area in Tipperary
The “astronomical” number of caravans that have arrived in a retail area in Nenagh have been branded as “unacceptable” by a local councillor.
Over recent days, over 20 caravans have set up camp at the Stereame area outside the town, which local councillor John Carroll described as “unacceptable”.
At the July meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District, Cllr Carroll said that the arrival of transient groups to the area is posing a threat to businesses in the area.
"The threat that this is posing at the moment, not alone to residential, but for the town environment, which this local authority continue to put every mechanism and every possible scheme and supportive incentive [to support the town]. They just don’t seem to have any care, they just drive in, they seem to have all different types of equipment from mulching to different aspects of equipment.
"If I parked my equipment there in that estate, I’d be told ‘sorry, you're unauthorised parking, you have to move on somewhere else’, so it’s something that we need to tackle, we need help from our Oireachtas members as well, the legislation seems to be very weak here,” Cllr Carroll hit out.
"Gardaí don’t seem to be able to do anything, the local authority are unable to move them for various reasons. That can’t continue because it’s going to jeopardise well-earned and hard work that was put in by this executive,” Cllr Carroll added.
Businesses in the area are facing “challenging” times, Cllr Carroll said, and issues like this are only making things harder, he explained.
"Businesses are challenged and ever more challenged as it goes on, it has to stop, we have to deal with it, it can’t keep coming up here, we’re going to have to deal with it,” the Fianna Fáil councillor added.
"It’s very very unfair on the people living in the environments, both residential and the commercial sector that are doing a great service, that have a significant business set up over the years, they’re being jeopardised, and it’s not going to help some of the businesses that are challenged,” Cllr Carroll said.
The call was seconded by Cllr Phyll Bugler, who said it was a “very serious” situation.
"The recent occupation of the area near our retail industry in Stereame, when you think of all the work that the Town Team are doing for the town of Nenagh, it’s very very unfair that we seem to be powerless,” Cllr Bugler added.
In response, a representative from the council executive said that Tipperary County Council would take the comments on board.
"We’re certainly working with the landowners involved and the various stakeholders and we’ll continue to do so,” the council representative concluded.