Delivery trucks giving Kells lane a wide berth

Service trucks such as oil delivery vans and skip lorries are refusing to drive down Grove Lane in Kells because it is too narrow, and residents are calling on Meath Co Council to create a new entrance from Kenlis Street.

They point out that the area is used as an unofficial car park and the lane was never meant to take the amount of traffic currently using it.

One local resident said that service lorries are currently refusing to travel down the lane, which is just off Bective Street, creating major problems for residents.

“We were concerned that if those lorries cannot go down it, can emergency vehicles access the area? We believe that one of the town's fire engines can manage it, but the second one is too big.

“People have started using the area as an unofficial car park and there are a lot of cars driving up and down the lane, but you also have a lot of elderly residents walking up and down it too, some with walking aids. It is too narrow.

“The cars whizz up and down the lane, more than once I've had to ask them to slow down. The lane was never meant for the traffic that currently uses it,” he said.

“Most of the residents here are elderly.”

He said the only solution would be for the council to purchase the land that is used as an unofficial car park, which would allow them to create an access from Kenlis Street

“It would also allow the council provide formal car parking facilities and get revenue from it.”

Cllr Sarah Reilly said the narrow entrance to The Grove was never meant for the scale of traffic now using it.

“It is not fair on the older residents living there in the bungalows.

“We have our own council land, adjacent to the current unofficial car park. If the council purchases that land, it would provide access to our own car park in Kenlis Street. It would allow for a new entrance from Kenlis Street and take traffic away from the narrow lane. It would also regulate parking in the area,” she said.

Cllr Reilly raised the issue at last week's meeting of Kells Municipal District Council, calling for an update be provided on the purchase of the car park on Grove Lane.

She was told the Council considered the purchase of this land a number of years ago, but the purchase did not proceed for a number of reasons and the Council currently has no plans to recommence this process.

“We cannot let this go without providing a solution,” she told the meeting.

“Fuel providers are refusing to go down that lane and I have heard the larger fire engine cannot go down there. We need to find out ourselves if that is true,” she said.

Cllr Paul McCabe said oil tankers were unable to get down the lane. “It is something we need to solve,” he said.

Director of Services Darragh McGowan, said that the fire services were able to access the lane, but he would check if there was a problem with the bigger fire engines.