‘Zero tolerance’ approach to camper vans on Promenade

Galway City Council is taking a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to camper vans parked along Salthill Promenade – which are banned under a local authority bye-law.

A spokesperson for the Council has confirmed that with the start of the summer season, the local authority will be ticketing illegally parked caravans and mobile homes.

“The bye-law was introduced after the Volvo Ocean Race in 2009, because camper vans were parked the whole length of the Promenade from Grattan to past the golf club,” he said.

Meanwhile, there have been calls for more space in which motorhomes can be catered because of increased traffic generated by the Wild Atlantic Way tourism initiative.

Labour councillor Niall McNelis said: “With the Wild Atlantic Way, we are going to see a lot more campervans in Galway and that is why there was a call to have some facility down at the Docks,” he said.

This comes after a ban was placed last year on the parking of campervans at Galway Harbour. Councillor McNelis called for a reversal of the policy at the time.

However, he said the issue is not as apparent in Salthill, where campervan owners appear to be abiding by the prohibition on parking along the Promenade.

“We are lucky in Salthill that there have been no campervans parking illegally along the Prom, although there was a problem with parking opposite Leisureland last year.

“We have two very good caravan parks in Salthill, although some may park for a few hours along the Prom because they are recognised as ordinary vehicles and that may give the impression that they’re staying there.”

The prohibition on parking of ‘temporary dwellings’ is provided for under the Galway City Council Parking Control Bye-Laws 2009.

They order that a campervan, caravan, mobile home or vehicle otherwise used for accommodation purposes shall not be parked overnight in a public car park within the administrative area of Galway city.

The placing, erection or retention of a temporary dwelling on the roads proscribed under the bye-laws is prohibited.

The proscribed roads are the Promenade from Grattan Road to the junction with Threadneedle Road; on Quincentennial Drive; on Rockbarton Road (opposite Leisureland) and on the Western Distributor Road.