Parking cost rise causes concerns

Parking cost rise causes concerns

18 April 2018

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council is coming under increasing pressure over its decision to hike car parking charges across the district, a move which local politicians fear will drive shoppers away.

Politicians have joined business owners to express concern at a decision to treble parking charges in Downpatrick and Ballynahinch, while it remains free to park in Newcastle, Castlewellan and Saintfield.

A new tariff of 40 pence per hour has been introduced at the Irish Street, Church Street and Scotch Street car parks in Downpatrick, and at the Lisburn Street and Windmill Street car parks in Ballynahinch.

Office workers who used the Church Street and Scotch Street car parks previously paid 40p for three hours, while an eight-hour ticket cost £1.20. Under the new charging regime, the price of an eight hour ticket has risen to £3.60, increasing the weekly cost to £18.

The local authority has defended its decision to hike charges, insisting the move is necessary to generate additional revenue as it has been handed responsibility for the maintenance of 80 car parks across the Newry, Mourne and Down area. Previously, the Department for Infrastructure was responsible.

But its defence has cut little ice with traders, South Down MLA Colin McGrath and Rowallane councillor Billy Walker.

Traders in Downpatrick reported a decrease in trade within days of the new car park charges coming into operation and are concerned they were not consulted about the price increase.

It’s a view shared by Mr McGrath, who has asked Newry, Mourne and Down Council for a full report on the consultation process undertaken before charges were increased.

“Parking charges have risen by 200% and the number of available spaces in town centres is limited,” he said. “To bring in such an astronomical increase is very prohibitive in encouraging people to visit our towns.

“Traders in Scotch Street have witnessed a reduction in footfall and this is having a detrimental impact on their income.

“While we don’t want to see people hogging spaces in car parks in towns for the whole day and not spending money in our local shops, we also don’t want to prevent people from using the car parks for a short period of time.”

Cllr Walker said he feared the increased parking charges would drive shoppers away from the district and called for council officials to review the decision.

“Traders are concerned about the increase and it is highly significant that within a matter of days of its introduction, businesses reported a in trade. Such news is concerning and needs to be addressed,” he declared.

“Charges at the Windmill Street car park in Ballynahinch were reduced to 10p per hour a number of years ago to encourage greater use and this had a positive impact. It now costs four times as much to use this park and will impact on neighbouring businesses.

“My fear is that the council’s decision will effectively drive shoppers out of the district which will hit the economy. That is something no one wants to see.”

Branding the price hike as the “height of nonsense,” the Rowallane politician said the increase coincided with residents and business owners across the district receiving their annual rates bills.

He added: “We should be encouraging shoppers into our town centres, not driving them away. The decision to increase parking charges needs to be immediately reviewed given the negative impact to has had in just a matter of days. This decision is causing untold damage.”