Overnight parking to be prohibited at Streamstown coffee shop

Kayley Hardiman

Westmeath County Council is currently in the process of procuring signs to outline the prohibition of overnight parking at the coffee shop on the greenway in Streamstown, following a call from a local councillor.

Cllr Tom Farrell said that campervans have started arriving there and parking overnight, and highlighted the issue of littering outside the cafe. “Something has to be done about it in the short term because it’s going to affect the coffee shop.”

Cllr Vinny McCormack said he fully supported the motion and said the issues of overnight parking and littering had been cited by a local group. He added that the council “need to take action on it and provide them with a response that signage will be ready”.

“If it’s still an issue, thereafter, maybe barriers or other such measures might be looked at to try to sort this issue and indeed protect the wonderful facilities that we have there,” concluded Cllr McCormack.

Director of services Barry Kehoe said that signs will be up shortly to address the problem and that they will monitor the situation regarding parking. “Hopefully, it’ll be effective but if it’s not we’ll do more, but barriers are a difficult thing because they block all access.”

He added that the council will continue to work with the local community and local tidy village to do “whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of the facility”.

Mr Kehoe said that he hopes that business will be retained somewhat over the winter period and that it’ll go from strength to strength.

The council is currently acquiring signs to ban overnight parking and these will be erected once received. The issue will then be kept under review and additional measures will be introduced if necessary. Litter is removed there on an ongoing basis, it said.