Parking review to assist Tipperary businesses that are 'on their knees'

Amid claims that Clonmel’s town centre is “dying” and that some businesses are “on their knees”, a review of the town’s parking strategy is to be carried out.

Despite reluctance expressed by council officials, the review was agreed by members of Clonmel Borough District at their monthly meeting.

Cllr. Michael Murphy, who formally requested the review along with Cllr. Richie Molloy, said he wasn’t looking for “a bells and whistles new parking strategy”, but subtle and revenue-neutral changes to parking that could achieve what they were looking for in relation to the town centre.

This would include  examining the location of parking meters and the revenue generated by each meter.

Cllr. Murphy said there were a lot of positive projects underway in Clonmel, such as the planning permission granted for a new hotel in Sarsfield Street, and the new Bulmers visitor centre. But he added there was also genuine concern about the lack of vibrancy and footfall in the town centre.

District Administrator Michael Moroney said that a review could be carried out but that they could have to look at it again in six months time when they knew the timeline for the town centre improvement works.

However Cllr. Murphy replied “let’s be realistic. These projects will take time and there are businesses in this town that are on their knees and can’t wait for these projects - all of which are so positive- to come on stream”.

He said that more than €3.5 million was generated in parking revenue in Tipperary last year, one of the highest totals in the country. Almost half of that €3.5 million was generated in Clonmel. There were parking concessions in other towns in the county and harmonisation of parking charges was needed throughout the county.

Cllr. Richie Molloy said that many businesses and citizens would agree that Clonmel’s town centre is “dying”.

“We have to accept that the parking strategy in its current form isn’t working”, he said.

Cllr. Molloy suggested that the council consider introducing free parking from 9-11am every morning to encourage more people “to remain in the town centre after the school drop”.

“We’re killing the town centre with the perception that parking isn’t usually available”.

He said the free half an hour available in the Mary Street car park was very short and wasn’t enough.

Cllr. Siobhan Ambrose said the members were expressing the frustrations of the public, and they all wanted to ensure that the town received its fair share.

There was huge frustration with regard to parking charges and that the money raised in Clonmel was centrally pooled.

They had to push for the equalisation of parking charges, in the same way that burial charges and commercial rates had been harmonised in the county.

Cllr. Pat English said that €1.4 million was collected in parking charges in Clonmel last year but that money wasn’t benefitting Clonmel. It couldn’t be right that half of the county’s parking revenue was coming from Clonmel.

“The centre of the town is dying at the moment and we need to attract people into it”.

Nenagh had three hours free parking every Saturday and other towns had lower charges. A level playing field was needed, he said.

District Mayor Garret Ahearn agreed there should be a review of some kind of the parking strategy. There was a lot of frustration and confusion about the different situation in other towns.

Cahir, for example, had two hours free parking during the day.

Council Director of Services Sean Keating said they had found previously that making small changes could lead to unintended consequences.

He described short-term free parking as “a very dangerous precedent”; the difficulty was that it was virtually impossible for traffic wardens to be on the street when motorists parked. 

That took a lot of time away from the rest of the areas where the wardens needed to patrol, thus reducing income.

He said that car parking and parking charges were often used as a scapegoat. It would be dangerous to implement small changes here and there.

Mr. Keating said it was proposed to have a review of Clonmel’s parking in 2020 and they should wait until then.

However Cllr. Murphy said that by the time the review he suggested went ahead it would be 2020, and they should proceed with it.

District Administrator Michael Moroney said a review wasn’t considered necessary at this stage.

He pointed out that grace periods were available depending on where motorists parked. As well as the free half an hour in the Mary Street car park many spaces, either adjacent to or within easy walking distance of the town centre, had 30 minutes free parking with the purchase of one hour’s parking.   

For more Tipperary news read Five men charged with committing violent disorder at pub