THE OWNERS of two car park sites in Churchtown, south Dublin, bowed to public pressure yesterday and agreed to review the operation of clamping at the sites.
This followed a furious reaction from local residents to what they felt were aggressive tactics being pursued by the operator of the car parks on Braemor Road, Centurion Parking Systems Ltd.
Carlow SRH, which has several common owners and directors with grocery chain Superquinn, said yesterday it would review the clamping operation following a flood of complaints by locals, many of which were aired on RTÉ’s Liveline radio show.
A spokesman for Carlow SRH said: “The current management approach in relation to the operation results from the recent appointment of a new independent car park management company [Centurion].
“In light of matters highlighted in recent days, this appointment is being reviewed and all circumstances of all appeals submitted to Centurion will be audited by an independent third party.”
Carlow SRH said it has owned the car parks since 2007. It also owns a pub across the road called McGowans/Rodeo Joe’s.
The pub is believed to have been earmarked by the owners for a Superquinn shop and apartments but these plans have been shelved due to the recession.
Carlow SRH’s owners include David Courtney, Simon Cantrell, Jeremiah O’Reilly and Terry Sweeney, who also own Superquinn. Simon Burke, Superquinn’s chief executive, is listed as a director with Carlow SRH. Superquinn yesterday distanced itself from the row, saying the car parks were not “owned or operated” by the company.
Local Fine Gael TD George Lee has cast doubt on Carlow SRH’s ownership of the car parks. He also claimed the sites are not registered for rates with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and that the authority now planned to send an inspector to value the car parks.
Mr Lee has a planning document dating back to 1981, stating that the land was publicly owned. “The public are demanding answers with immediate effect,” Mr Lee said. The spokesman for Carlow SRH said there was no issue over the ownership of the sites.
