Residents are not so chipper over food vans
A Cork county councillor has asked for an update on when casual trading by-laws will be implemented in the county.
At Monday’s meeting of Cork County Council, Fianna Fáil Cllr Audrey Buckley said it is unfair that people have to deal with loud generators and “20 foot chipper vans pulling up” in their area.
Ms Buckley said she has already received many calls this year from residents in the Carrigaline municipal district with complaints relating to noise pollution, litter and waste management, and the blocking of driveways caused by casual traders.
She said: “Already, on a fine weekend, we’re getting calls about generators going. They’re like jackhammers to be honest.”
Cllr Buckley, who brought a similar motion to the council four years ago, said the issue is long-standing and asked whether casual trading by-laws would come into effect before the summer months this year.
“Cork City (Council) has recently amended its by-laws. They are really tied down and they have addressed a lot of things. I’m looking forward to seeing ours,” she said.
Responding to Cllr Buckley’s motion, Patricia Liddy, Director of Services, Municipal District Operations & Rural Development, said the introduction of casual trading by-laws is challenging and has seen attempts by other local authorities challenged in the High Court.
She said analysis of the issue had determined that the introduction of county wide by-laws would be extremely complex and possibly increase the risk of legal challenge as seen in other Irish Local Authorities.
“As this is a reserved function, it was determined that by-laws would need to be drafted for each municipal district (MD).
“A mapping exercise for each MD to capture information to inform/support the drafting of these by-laws is ongoing,” said Ms Liddy.
Supporting Mr Buckley’s motion, Fine Gael Cllr Jack White said the issue has been dragging on far too long and must become an urgent priority for the council.
He said: “We’re very lucky in our MD; we have beautiful places like Myrtleville, Fountainstown, Crosshaven, Rocky Bay, Robert’s Cove, places where people go from the MD and the city, yet residents there are being absolutely hammered with traffic congestion, hammered with noise, hammered with rude traders in some cases.
“I think for those residents to have a chance, for the guards to have a chance, we need to make sure that our house is in order from a legal point of view,” added Cllr White.
Fine Fáil Cllr for West Cork, Joe Carroll, said his experience with issues surrounding casual trading by-laws goes back to 1999.
“We have trading going on in West Cork that is borderline reckless, people think they have every right to do what they want, and we have no regulations.
“This have been going on for the bones of 30 years. We want it dealt with immediately,” he added.