The operator of Downpatrick’s Market Street car park has confirmed that it is currently reviewing feedback it has received on the facility from local representatives and the public.
CPS (Car Park Services) was responding to a statement released by local councillor Conor Galbraith, in which he said there were “ongoing concerns surrounding parking charges” at the council-owned location.
The SDLP representative also stated that issues with the car park have been “raised repeatedly by local residents and traders, with frustration centring on 24-hour charging, the impact on town centre footfall and penalty notices arriving close to, or after, the 14-day discount period.”
“I’ve been contacted by a steady stream of people about this, and the message is the same every time – the current set-up at Market Street just isn’t fair,” he added.
“People don’t mind paying to park, but 24-hour charging and fines turning up when the discount window is nearly gone leaves a bad taste. It feels overly harsh, and it’s putting people off coming into town altogether. That’s a real concern when our local businesses are working hard to keep footfall up. The last thing we need is anything that makes Downpatrick feel less welcoming or harder to access. I’ve raised all of this directly, and I’m pushing for some common-sense changes.”
When contacted for comment, CPS said that it is “aware that feedback has been received from local representatives and members of the public” and that it is “currently reviewing the points that have been raised.”
“The car park has historically operated as a 24/7 chargeable facility,” it stated. “The recent change relates to the introduction of ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology to replace patrol-based enforcement, which provides a more consistent and transparent approach to parking management. As part of this transition, signage at the site has been significantly increased in both size and quantity to improve visibility and clarity for customers. In addition, the parking tariffs were reduced to make the site more accessible and affordable, with parking now available from 50p per hour and £3 for all-day parking, which represents a competitive offering within the town centre.”
The company pointed out that “the site will continue to operate as a 24/7 parking facility while discussions remain ongoing. As part of this engagement, we are considering operational aspects to ensure the car park continues to support town centre access, alongside maintaining appropriate management of parking availability.”
It concluded: “CPS operates in accordance with industry guidelines and established procedures, and we will continue to monitor feedback as part of our normal operational review process.”
The council said that it could “advise that the issues raised have been passed to the private car park operator, who is reviewing them and will respond in due course.”
