Councillors and officials clash over paid parking

Some of the new municipal districts created in County Cork could be on a collision course with council officials over paid parking.

The eight municipal districts — created following the abolition of town councils — were to have certain autonomy, and make decisions without having to refer matters to the full county council for approval.

Their supposed powers were to include the introducing, or axing, of parking charges.

However, it emerged yesterday that such powers may not be as clear-cut as initially thought.

The first municipal district meeting took place in Cobh yesterday, at which parking charges was raised.

Cllr Cathal Rasmussen (Lab) asked officials if councillors could alter local paid parking bylaws, existent for 10 years.

He was informed by a senior council official that a countywide review of paid parking was being undertaken by the local authority’s corporate policy group as “it was important there was consistency”.

The response set off alarm bells among a number of councillors, including Claire Cullinane (Ind), who said guidelines might be OK but she didn’t want to be “fenced-in” on making decisions or to rubberstamp what might be decided by senior officials.

Cllr Kieran McCarthy (SF) said he was concerned officials would try and force decisions on councillors. “They’re going to try and tell us, but they won’t succeed,” he said after the meeting.

The Irish Examiner understands senior officials would like paid parking introduced in all urban areas.

Charges have applied in Bandon, Youghal, Cobh, Mallow, Fermoy, Macroom, and Kinsale for a number of years. Paid parking was recently introduced in Douglas, with plans to extend it to Carrigaline.

There are no parking charges in most West Cork towns and, according to Cllr Noel O’Donovan (FG), councillors have already promised Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce they will not support its introduction.

Cllr Aaron O’Sullivan (FF) said introducing free parking on Youghal’s Main Street was a priority. “The burden of commercial rates combined with parking charges are hurting businesses in Youghal and across the county” he said.

Councillors in paid-parking towns often point to Midleton as an example of how its retail centre thrives as there are no charges.

Council officials indicated its corporate policy group should have guidelines drawn up by next month.

They advised members of the Cobh municipal district — which covers Cobh, Glanmire, Carrigtwohill, and Little Island — not to make any decisions on parking until the group had made its recommendations.