Clarion call for Claremorris parking

LOOKING FOR A FAIR PLAYING FIELD Claremorris businessman Jimmy Flynn. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Ciara Galvin

MAYO County Council is threatening to ‘rain down fire and brimstone on Claremorris and Ballinrobe’, according to Claremorris Chamber of Commerce president Jimmy Flynn.
Flynn, a long-time campaigner for a period of free parking in Claremorris to help local businesses and shoppers, has said that the Council is not happy with West Mayo local representatives’ decision to keep their one hour of free parking.
In an email sent to local and national representatives, including An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Minister for State and the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport Michael Ring, and councillors in the Claremorris Municipal District, Flynn said, ‘The message from officialdom couldn’t be clearer: step out of line and there will be big trouble.’
The local businessman and chamber president is urging councillors to support the 6,000 people of Claremorris who signed a petition asking for one hour of free parking in the town.
Speaking to The Mayo News about the issue, Mr Flynn said that though the core of Claremorris town is ‘relatively strong’, a parking policy similar to that of Westport’s is ‘one foundation stone’ to helping the town’s recovery.
“I would never say an hour free parking is the be all and end all. But an hour’s free parking creates a level playing field, and we have to get a fair playing field because we’re just another typical town that has been hollowed out by inappropriate planning by multiples that, let’s face it, they don’t need any more advantages,” said Flynn.  

Resentful
Owner of Greenstores in the town, Florence Higgins is certain that parking charges have affected her business.
“The day the traffic warden is out there, no disrespect to them, shoppers run to their cars and take off, or if they come down the street and see him there they just don’t park.”
Ms Higgins said that shoppers are ‘resentful’ of the parking system currently in operation in the town, not because of the cost of the charges, but because of the inconvenience.  
“Shoppers are just in town, have put the 30 or 50 cent in the meter, and then they’re thinking ‘Oh God, what time is it, how much have I left?’. They’re reluctant to even stop for a chat to people or to go for a cup of coffee with someone. It knocks the pleasure out of shopping,” she added.
Another business owner in the town, Niall Heffernan of The Food Store, said he would not like the town to return to previous times where people parked their cars in the middle of the town and left them there for the day.
“I think one hour free parking would be the ideal way to go. There’s empty units around the town, and that’s a loss of rates for the council, so maybe if the hour was brought in it would see an increase of businesses."