Call to repair and clean Limerick city parklets

A CALL has been made on council to repair and clean parklets and build-outs across the city ahead of the summer season.

The wooden structures were installed outside of shops and bars across Limerick in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this time, restrictions meant dining or drinking inside restaurants, bars and cafes was not always possible due to the need to maintain social distancing.

Four years on, Labour councillor Joe Leddin says some of these now need a deep-clean and have repairs done to them.

“They are beginning to show their age. Some of them are weather-beaten. But they are now part of the public realm and as the weather starts to improve, and we move from spring into summer and people are more interested in dining outside, it's important these parklets are maintained to an acceptably high standard even from a visual point of view,” he said.

To this end, he has asked council bosses to carry out an immediate audit of all the parklets and build-outs across the city and put together a plan of works on the basis of what they find.

“It could just be a complete hosing down and re-painting, if only to freshen them up,” the City West councillor said. “Any of them which have started to deteriorate and need repairs, that needs to come out from the audit too.”

Cllr Leddin acknowledged some of the parklets will need more work than others.

“But they all need to be freshened up because they are part of the street furniture,” he added.

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At this month’s metropolitan district meeting, he asked who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the parklets.

In a written response from Liam Browne, a roads, traffic and cleaning council executive, he was told it is up to the businesses using the facilities to maintain them and keep them tidy.

“Any structural repairs would be the responsibility of the local authority,” he added.

At present, the council’s public realm department is carrying out a review of the long-term strategy for outdoor dining areas in the city centre.