Free parking to continue in Westport

Free parking to continue in Westport


Anton McNulty

Parking in the Westport’s carparks will continue to be free to the public for a few more weeks after councillors could not agree on recommendations to adopt the new carpark by-laws.
Westport Town Council propose to introduce Pay and Display parking in the town’s carparks to replace the barrier system which is deemed obsolete. The Council had hoped to have the new system in place following last week’s town council meeting but the councillors could not agree on the hours the cars would be charged and it will be discussed again at the Council’s Traffic Management Meeting on November 29.
The four car parks in the town have been free to the public for a number of weeks because the barrier system needs repairing and the Council decided to instead replace them with Pay and Display. Ann Moore, the Town Clerk said there had been a loss of revenue to the Council since the barriers were removed and recommended the adoption of the bylaws.
She explained that there would be no change in the price of parking and stated that the cars would be charged for parking from 8.30am until 10pm - which she said was the same time when the barrier was in place.
However Cllr Brendan Mulroy was the first to object to this time and recommended the time be changed from 9am until 6pm. He said that in Castlebar, Pay and Display was a big issue and said they needed an incentive to bring people into Westport.
“If we go into this to make money then it is not the way to go down. We should support businesses in the town and there is no way I can support charging parking from 8.30am until 10pm,” he said. He was supported by Cllr Keith Martin who said 10pm was too late but he recommended charging from 8.30am until 8.30pm.
Cllr Myles Staunton said that parking should be free on Sunday to allow people to park when going to Mass while Cllr Martin Keane said there should be concessions for the coaches and officials in St Anne’s Boxing Club. Cllr Christy Hyland said that he believes the revenue lost by the Council since the barriers was lifted was €30,000 but this was not confirmed by any of the Council officials.
Martin Keating, explained that they would be able to accommodate charging the parking from 8.30am until 8pm and would also be able to accommodate Mass goers on Sundays. He said that they could have the new system in place with ten days of the by-laws being passed.
Cllr Martin proposed that the Council adopt the alterations to the by-laws but this was opposed by Cllr Mulroy who proposed the hours from 9am until 9pm and Sunday’s should be free.
Cllr Ollie Gannon said he could not see how the Council could adopt the by-laws as they stood and proposed that they redraft some parts of them before they decide any of it. This was supported by Cllr Keane and Cllr Staunton, who said they should prepare a second draft and discuss it at the next traffic management meeting. He said this by-laws could affect the people of Westport for years and they needed to get it right.