Proposed parking bylaws ‘do not go far enough’

PROPOSED bylaws to deal with parking in the town “do not go far enough”, according to one local councillor.

 

Councillor Johnny Flynn has made a submission to Ennis Town Council in relation to the planned draft car park bylaws 2012. In his submission, the councillor has called for the development of an additional 300 public parking spaces and has strongly objected to the removal of free car parking on Cloughleigh Road.

The proposed bylaws had been on public display with last Thursday being the final date for submissions.

Councillor Flynn, a member of both Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council, in his submission welcomed a number of measures contained within the draft bylaws.

He described many of the proposed changes as “positive” including the future provision of paying for parking by phone; the increase of the maximum time for parking from two to three hours; the potential to allow for the suspension of parking charges on special occasions and the reduction of parking fees for the promotion of retail activity.

“Periods of free parking in association with the last Christmas promotion was greatly appreciated by the public in general and by town centre businesses in particular, who were competing with adjoining towns, cities and shopping centres with similar parking charges,” he stated.

However, he added, “These bylaws do not go far enough.” He stated action must be taken now. “It is most unlikely that there will be another change of these bylaws in this political cycle up to 2014. Therefore, important decisions about Ennis, its bylaws and so on that affect its residents and local economy will be subsumed into the work and concerns of Clare County Councillors.”

He referred to the recently published survey by Retail Excellence Ireland of the top 100 towns and cities where Ennis was rated 61st. Ennis featured in the bottom 10 of towns and cities in terms of car-parking availability, price and convenience.

In order to address this, Councillor Flynn in his submission has urged, “Ennis needs well over 300 new public car-parking spaces to be developed urgently by using the fund built up specifically for that purpose. I understand that this fund was collected via special charges levied over the past decade in the planning applications granted in Ennis Town to critical developments, which were found not having their own site availability to provide their own required car parking.”

He also called on the council to adopt a new pricing structure for parking, suggesting Ennis follow the model used in Westport. Councillor Flynn stated that for a three-hour parking stay in Westport, there is a charge of 70c for the first hour and 30c for each subsequent hour. In Ennis it is €1.30 for the first hour and each subsequent hour.

“I voted against increases to a unit car-parking price of €1.30 from €1. Through various notice of motions over the last eight years to the town council, I have sought a variety of changes including: half-hour parking on the main streets for 50c; significant price reduction; colour coding of car-parking duration and cost and so on.”

Councillor Flynn, a member of the board of management at Scoil Chríost Rí, voiced his objection to the removal of free car parking on Cloughleigh Road.

His submission stated, “Scoil Chríost Rí is a Deis school, which has been built and developed on Cloughleigh Road over the last 30 years to meet the needs of the community it serves; its staff and patrons to the church on the school grounds. It is not located within the commercial town centre, it is in the heart of a residential area. As such, the area does not need the enforcement of parking controls to ensure turnover of car-parking spaces for economic reasons of commerce.”

As well as car parks and on-street parking, the draft bylaws also deal with coach parking facility at Friars’ Walk. Councillor Flynn has welcomed the development of the 10 spaces saying it provides the town centre with an “essential bus infrastructure” suitable for a town bus service.

In his submission he added, “with a marketing campaign for 2013, there is an opportunity to attract a number of the 100-plus tourist coach buses previously bypassing Ennis each day during the tourist season due to lack of access and bus infrastructure.

“The marketing in conjunction with the Cliffs of Moher to direct some of the huge number of coaches arriving there towards Ennis would help the local economy also.”

He suggested that in addition to a marketing campaign, coach drivers’ incentive schemes by local businesses may be needed to encourage usage of the facility.