Google+ Running in Cork, Ireland: Half-Moon Lane entrance to Tramore Valley Park likely to remain closed for 2020

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Half-Moon Lane entrance to Tramore Valley Park likely to remain closed for 2020

Gate at the Half-Moon Lane entrance in Dec 2019

Back in early 2019, Cork City Council finally opened the Tramore Valley Park in Cork City to members of the public. The most northerly entrance to the park at Half-Moon lane has remained closed however.

This has led to the ironic situation whereby the people that are living closest to the park like in Turners Cross can't get access to it.

In a response to a query from Cllr. Mick Flynn, Cork City Council have said that the Half-Moon entrance will remain closed for at least another 12 months!

The reasons cited were...

a) The volume of traffic going to Christ King Girls Secondary School, a number of commercial premises, including the ESB, a pitch & putt club, one residential property and a large City Council Depot.

b) There is also no public footpath on the laneway, while the junction at the end of the 250m stretch is completely blind in both directions when exiting and does not have traffic lights.

In an answer, the City Council Director of Operations said... “It is also important to note that providing an access to the park from Half Moon Lane will also attract visitors arriving by car and, given that there is no dedicated parking area, cars are likely to be abandoned along the narrow lane creating a serious obstruction for other vehicles using the lane to access their premises and for parents dropping and collecting school children.”

The Council said that consultants will undertake a traffic assessment and survey of the lane. They will then prepare draft improvement proposals to address the issues.

Following this, a Part 8 application will be made and should that get the green light, a detailed design, tender and contract will follow.
 

From a running point of view, this news would seem to put a damper on the 5k parkrun in Tramore Valley Park starting up anytime soon.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Was there ever a public amenity as inaccessible to the public as this one?

dequarefella said...

I'm not sure I understand the problem here...there is ample parking within the park, there have been several 5k races held in the park last year...there are traffic lights when leaving the park and joining the main road. The only blocker here is a jobs worth council that couldn't be bothered using common sense.

Anonymous said...

Why are they always thinking about cars. If they just open a pedestrian gate there it would allow people to walk/jog through the park. Leave the car gate closed!! Open the F***ing pedestrian gate!!!!

Anonymous said...

FWIW the other entrance via the roundabout at the back of Douglas Community School is open all the time. It's about .82 of a mile to the back gate of the park.