Parking places needed for Kildare theatre goers

There aren't enough parking places for people attending the Moat Theatre in Naas.

Independent councillor Seamie Moore asked for efforts to be made “to provide a small number of parking accommodations for special needs badge holders in the former Town Hall yard (which now forms part of the new library) for events at either the library or the theatre.”

He said many of those going to the theatre have an older age profile.

But according to Kildare County Council there are just five car parking spaces assigned for library staff and one for disability parking in the rear yard.

The disability parking space can be accessed by library patrons who are blue badge holders and who are visiting the library or attending events there during opening hours.

(This includes Monday to Saturday and 3 late evenings Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until 8 pm or until the event is over.)

Access to the disability  space is obtained by contacting the library by phone or email in advance.

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But KCC says it can’t provide any additional parking in the yard and “it would not be possible to provide parking to members of the public attending events in the theatre because the one space needs to be kept free for library users and those attending events who need disability parking.”

Access is managed by staff during library opening hours and the gates to the yard are locked for security reasons outside these hours. Public access to the yard is not available when there are no staff on site.

Cllr Evie Sammon pointed out that most of the events in the theatre take place when the library is closed and she asked KCC to talk to the theatre manager.