Midleton looking at introducing pay parking to free up spaces and attract more shoppers

Councillor says lack of parking spaces 'stifling business in the town'

Cork councillor said she and many others try to shop in the town but when they regularly cannot find a space to park, they go somewhere else. Picture: Larry Cummins

The introduction of pay parking in Midleton is looking almost certain as councillors seek the views of the local Chamber of Commerce on the subject.

It is expected once the chamber has reported back on its members’ views, councillors in East Cork Municipal District will hold an ‘in-committee’ meeting (without media presence) to thrash out the issue.

Midleton-based Fine Gael councillor Susan McCarthy, whose family owns a newsagents in the town, said while there had been a feeling for several years it should retain the free parking it has, there has been a recent mood shift among some business owners she has spoken to.

Sinn Féin councillor Danielle Twomey agreed with her. She said she and many others try to shop in the town but when they regularly cannot find a space to park, they go somewhere else.

Both she and Ms McCarthy said they could introduce it on a "first-hour free" basis and then charge after that.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern, who runs an auctioneering business in the town, suggested the council asks the Midleton chamber to take a poll of its members and when this had been done they would discuss the issue in depth.

On the other hand, Independent councillor Mary Linehan-Foley, who lives in Youghal, wanted a review of pay parking in that town, maintaining it is unfair to have it there when it is free in Midleton.

She was told by Sean Callaghan, who is the most senior council official for the region, that pay parking is proven to help business turnover.

“There are 330 on-street pay parking spaces in Youghal and 330 spaces which are unpaid. If there was no pay parking on the main street, I could park there all day long and so could staff working in the town. That would impact the turnover of spaces,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

He added people are given more than 10 minutes' grace by traffic wardens and there was free parking at lunchtime, which he thought was very fair.

Mr O’Callaghan added if they remove pay parking there would be no warden in the town to control the situation and it would also lead to the removal of parking permits for residents.

He said it was interesting how one town seems to want to remove pay parking and the other wants to introduce it.

“People are not going to businesses in Midleton because there are no spaces available. We need to look at it. It is stifling business in the town,” Ms Twomey said.

“If we had a warden, we could have the first hour free and then charge €1 per hour after that,” Ms McCarthy said.

She added that pre-covid, a traffic warden was occasionally assigned to carry out spot checks in Midleton on the two-hour limit they have in the town.

Ms McCarthy asked if it was possible to get a warden back in the town to do this again.

Mr O’Callaghan said wardens who previously did this were the ones who work between Youghal and Cobh. He said the council was currently short of such personnel, but he would see what he could do.

He agreed with Midleton-based councillors that they hold an in-committee meeting on the issue when the local chamber has responded with its members’ views.