Exciting new chapter for Bettystown with opening of new library

Excitement is mounting for the long awaited €8m library and civic centre in Bettystown that will open later this month however concerns about parking for visitors and staff have been highlighted by local councillors.

The 700sqm library located in a landmark building with views to the sea and a major community meeting space overlooking a new plaza in the centre of the village will open its doors on 24th February.

The building will consist of two floors of library space, Changing facilities, public toilets, beach wheelchairs, outdoor heated showers, an outdoor water station and community rooms.

Three multi-functional meeting spaces will allow the library service to deliver a wide variety of events and activities for children and adults. The community and voluntary sector will also be able to book the meeting spaces for free.

The new development will have the first Sensory Room in the county, the first library to offer users free access to the latest in 3D technology, and the first library to offer group study pods to students.

However, the much anticipated development that will bring a library service back to East Meath for the first time since the mid 2000’s is being overshadowed by parking woes in the seaside town.

A permanent ban on parking on Bettystown Beach came into play in 2021 after Meath beaches were closed to vehicles during the pandemic.

Last year Cllr Maria White said that access to the beach had been “decimated” due to limited parking options in the village and a “think tank” was needed to come up with solutions to the problem.

In response to Independent Cllr Carol Lennon's request to know what provisions were in place for staff and visitor parking at the library at a recent Laytown Bettystown Municipal District meeting Meath County Council responded that staff and visitors using the new East Meath Civic Centre will use the existing car parking facilities. As part of the planning process a transport assessment report was compiled for the project which recommended that "no additional parking was required" and that the existing parking in the town was deemed satisfactory to service the building in conjunction with the public accessing the library on foot, utilising public transport and cycling.

"The traffic generated by this development is a moderate increase in traffic engineering terms and will not adversely impact the operation of the wider road network," the local authority went on to say. Adding:

"There are 12 already existing parking spaces adjacent to the development. The disabled parking space was improved to meet current regulations and the existing EV charging bay was relocated.

"These parking bays will allow for short stay visitors using the library and any other residual parking demand is expected to be generated from linked trips to Bettystown town centre that will be served by existing parking facilities within the town centre.

"In addition, a number of bicycle stands were included in the development. Public transport will also allow users access the library with local bus stops serving bus routes to and from Drogheda, Mornington, Donacarney and Laytown."

Speaking afterwards Cllr Lennon said businesses are in crisis due to the reduction in footfall as a result of a lack of parking as well as those with disabilities finding it a struggle to access the beach.

"I asked about parking for the library at the meeting and it was said that extensive consultation was done, and parking was deemed to be adequate," said Lennon.

"I asked if that consultation was done prior to or post the closure of the beach and an answer wasn't given. As far as I know, the consultation was done in 2019 /2020 and the beach wasn't approved for complete closure until I believe late 2021 early 2022 so it would appear that those spaces for parking weren't anticipated to be gone forever," she added.

"To my knowledge, there is only 67 spaces between the train bridge in Laytown and Mornington.

"We have a whole community of people saying, how will we get into the library. There might be all these great changing areas and fantastic sensory rooms but if there's no parking, it's not accessible."

Commuters are also finding it a challenge to park their cars to access public transport according to the Independent Cllr who said:

"We don't have a parking lot facility for the use of Matthews commuter Service, we don't have enough sufficient spaces at Laytown train station and as a result, people are climbing over one another to get parking.

"Businesses are reporting shortfalls in footfall of up to 70 per cent in some instances and we need an active response.

"The dunes at Mornington is a Special Area of Conservation, the strand at Bettystown is not and the parking has moved from Bettystown to Mornington, and there is no policing of this and it is incredible that is being allowed to happen.

"We need some extension to the current 15 spaces that are there, we are not asking for 1,000 but there is space for 100 cars on the right towards Laytown.

"We have a concrete jungle full of derelict buildings and vacant properties and nothing to show for it.”