Views sought for on-street parking plans

Views sought for on-street parking plans

19 March 2025

RESIDENTS and business owners in Castlewellan are to be asked for their views on introducing on-street parking restrictions.

The move is under consideration as part of a plan to tackle all day parkers who eat up valuable town centre spaces in Main Street, Upper and Lower Square.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council and the Department for Infrastructure are keen on limiting the time people can park in the town centre.

The parking restrictions idea was first suggested several years ago and since then £130,000 was invested in a new car park adjacent to sports pitches at the Bann Road.

But the level of investment is now under scrutiny with local people concerned that the car park is rarely used by shoppers in particular.

Confirmation that residents and business owners are to be surveyed about the introduction of limited parking in the town centre came at the most recent meeting of the Slieve Croob DEA Forum.

Members agreed that residents and business owners would be asked for their views to determine support for the DfI pressing ahead with the survey.

Concern has been expressed about the lack of parking spaces which the business community fears will drive shoppers out of the town. 

The business community also believes that addressing the parking issue can help with the regeneration of Castlewellan as a thriving shopping town with less congestion and improving the turnover of shoppers and visitors.

Senior local authority officials have met with DfI representatives to discuss the parking issue and the required legislation paving the way for parking restrictions to be introduced.

While it’s free to park in Castlewellan and there are currently no time restrictions on where people can leave their vehicles, some traders are becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of parking spaces.

They fear this could potentially drive shoppers elsewhere which would be bad news for the town and its economy.

Several local councillors say many traders in Castlewellan are extremely concerned about the current parking arrangements.

Earlier this year, local authority officials were asked to review the success of the 80-space Bann Road car park.

Jointly financed by ratepayers and the DfI, the car park was designed to ease parking congestion in the town centre and free up more spaces for shoppers.

South Down MLA Colin McGrath said given the protracted issues of parking in Castlewellan, he would have thought that the Bann Road ‘park and share facility’ would have been better used.

He planned to write to council officials asking for a review of the car park’s efficacy and to ask the council about the possibility of a second car park opening close to the town centre, pointing to flooding issues in the Bann Road area.