Major Kildare supermarket is encouraged 'to be a good neighbour'

Dunnes Stores should be encouraged “to be a  good neighbour” by addressing issues caused by drivers leaving and arriving at the town centre store in Naas.

Cllr Fintan Brett also said, at a Naas Municipal District meeting, that Kildare County Council should "engage with Dunnes Stores” to provide a variable message board at the entrance telling customers how many car parking spaces are available.

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He also said the placing of bollards on the main road should be examined to “prevent the rampant abuse of the ‘no right turn’ at the exit.

“The car park is way too small and people are queueing to go in and people are turning right when they leave,” he stated.

He said accidents have taken place and KCC should "write to Dunnes Stores and ask them to be good neighbour.”

He said bollards on the road “are an absolute must” because the gardaí can’t be present all of the time. He noted that pedestrians have to walk on the street at busy times.

He said the opening of the store has been a success but the “blocking of the footpath is driving everyone nuts.”

Kildare  County Council pointed out Dunnes is privately owned and this work is its responsibility. 

It added bollards should be part of a larger traffic management design for the main street, adding that concerns over visibility and cyclists’ safety “would need to be assessed.”

Engineer Dónal Hodgins said KCC is trying to “retrofit a problem” which could have been avoided had KCC had more input from the public, who are sometimes reluctant to make submissions when a planning process is taking place. 

Had this happened then planning conditions could have been imposed which may have addressed the concerns.

Mr Hodgins also said KCC had applied for money from the National Transport Authority for funding for a wider area of Naas, which includes this location.

Mr Hodgins also said there is an onus on people not to turn right after leaving the supermarket because they’re endangering themselves and others.