Posted online: Apr 18th, 2008

By Dermot Keys
dermot@letterkennypost.com

The issue of employee parking in the Letterkenny Shopping Centre looks set to escalate with the centre’s rates and planning conditions to come under scrutiny by the Letterkenny Town Council.
Following the management company for the centre’s refusal to engage in talks with the council, Cllr Dessie Larkin has asked that the council look into whether the centre is fully compliant with the conditions of its planning permission. He also requested that their rates be reviewed.
Speaking at the Letterkenny Town Council meeting this week, he said the company had been very “cheeky” in its correspondence and that it had effectively told the council to mind its own business.
“Planning permission and fees are our business,” he added.
The council will be examining the conditions laid down on the planning permission for the recent redevelopment of the centre. One of the issues that will be confirmed is whether the matter of employee parking was included in the permission granted. They will also be checking the rates that the centre is currently subject to. Cllr Larkin said he wanted to investigate whether the use of the car park as a commercial entity would influence the rates and whether the company had received any reductions on the basis that they were supplying employee parking.
“In fairness, we tried to open a dialogue with the management company for the centre but they didn’t want to deal with us,” he told the Letterkenny Post.
“This is the only option we have left to take in order to protect the people who work in the centre. We’re very disappointed that the company aren’t relenting on their policy of not giving staff access to parking spaces.”
The members of the Letterkenny Town Council approved the investigation. Cllr Gerry McMonigle expressed the view that the company were treating the staff in a contemptuous manner.
“We’ve been trying to speak to these people and they don’t want to speak to the elected members at all. I think we need to look to planning conditions because they’re treating people with complete contempt.”