Fury at loss of parking for Morrison's Island improvement works

Traders are warning that the city centre will become a “graveyard” if customers are driven away by the lack of available parking.
They unleashed their frustrations at a lengthy meeting with City Hall representatives last night about the proposed introduction of flood defences at Morrison’s Island.
City Hall is proposing the removal of 115 spaces as part of the Morrison’s Island flood works. A further 60 spaces will be lost with the development of social housing on the White Street car park.
Cork Business Association (CBA) chief executive Lawrence Owens said: “Parking has never been lost at this scale before.”


Mr Owens said the loss of parking from the Morrison’s Island scheme equated to 2,500 to 3,000 customers a week and 150,000 a year.
Former CBA President and English Market trader Pat O’Connell said a city without customers, isn’t a city — it’s a graveyard.
Mr O’Connell said: “We are losing parking by stealth. We are your customers and we need solutions. It is not good enough to ask for submissions.”
Cork City Council’s Director of Services for Environment and Recreation Directorate David Joyce emphasised the need for the works in the city.