The reaction to the DRD proposal is very significant in small town acros County Down and will be a major issue in the coming elections. Downpatrick’s Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has slammed DARD’s proposals to install parking meters in the Town as “a short-sighted and ill-conceived raid on struggling High Streets to fund the department with no local benefits”
[caption id="attachment_21932" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Downpatrick traders have expressed their deep concern at the introduction of parking meters in the town. Pictured are Colman Magennis, Pat Cassidy, Paul McCartan, John Wilson, Fintan McCartan, Cllr Cadogan Enright, and Ciaran McCartan"]
[/caption]
Patrick Cassidy, Chairman of Downpatrick Business Forum hit out saying, “We are totally opposed to the installation of parking meters in Downpatrick and other small towns. The economy in Northern Ireland is ailing and this initiative will simply add unbareable pressure on the many small businesses already struggling. It is just a total disgrace.
“It is just not fair that small busnesses in the centre of our towns are penalised where big businesses set up outside these towns with free parking. We will address this matter at the meeting and certainly make it an election issue for the politicians to consider.”
Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright, himself a retailer in the town in the Market Street Cafe, said, “What is particularly frustrating is that the £37.7 million that the DRD hopes to raise in 5 years is set to fill the coffers of central government, not to benefit Downpatrick or other local towns in any way. If these proposals had any legitimacy, the funds raised in each town would be ring-fenced for that town to improve road quality, to widen pedestrian access, to revise and improve town traffic management or to provide extra parking spaces in strategic locations.”
He said, “Where is the sense in milking our struggling Town Centre and High Streets in 30 other towns across the North as a route to raise central government funds? The money-grabbing mentality of this proposal is highlighted by the proposal that parking fines may increase to £90. This policy actually encourages people to leave their locality and opt for the free or discounted car-parking facilities provided by large multinational supermarkets. This policy is a slap in the face to those who are trying to ensure that the centre of Market Towns in NI do not become ghost towns like many parts of England.
“A better approach would be to consult with each town on its individual needs and its geographical realities before applying a broad brush, one-size-fits-all approach. Downpatrick is a town with unique heritage and we are working locally in our ‘Realm Committee’ to ensure that issues like congestion and under-development are dealt with. Downpatrick also benefits from a varied central shopping area with many independent traders. Traffic management is an issue that is indelibly interwoven with the overarching business and tourist strategy of the town and should be dealt with by way of open consultation; not draconian top down legislation,” said Councillor Enright.]]>
News In Brief
- Advertisement -
