Moving Westport Post Office into supermarket is daft claims Mayo councillor
Independent councillor John O'Malley predicts there will be chaos when the post office moves to Shop Street in Westport
The relocation of the Westport Post Office to a supermarket in the centre of the town is daft according to a Mayo councillor who predicted it will cause traffic chaos.
The post office in Westport has been located on the North Mall for over 125 years but in April An Post confirmed that postal services will relocate to a new, modern facility within Kavanagh's SuperValu supermarket on Shop Street on June 22.
The post office on North Mall was built in 1899 and since it opened its doors to the public in 1901 it has been a major feature of the social landscape of Westport.
The decision to move the post office to Shop Street was heavily criticised by local councillor John O'Malley who questioned where elderly people were to park when using the post office.
“Where are the old people going to park to go into that post office?” the Independent councillor asked council officials at the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District.
“How are you going to alleviate that problem when all those people go up there and shuffle their way into the post office. The Mall was grand. They could shuffle across the road and shuffle back but what are they going to do when they go up there?
“Shop Street is one of the busiest streets in town and where are they going to park and what will happen. I think it is going to be chaotic and it is the daftest place of all to put a post office within that supermarket,” he said.
The Carrowholly-based councillor said it is already difficult to find parking along Shop Street and the post office will only add to the pressure on parking along the street.
“Are we going to come in here [municipal district chamber] saying to you [officials] why was that old person fined for parking in a loading bay because there will be no place else for them to park? It is something you will have to think about because there will be a lot of pressure.”