Free parking aims to boost local business in Athenry

Councillors have voted to make parking free in the Backlawn Carpark beside Kenny Park in Athenry for three months – in an effort to boost business in the town and make use of the currently “underused” facility.

On a motion put forward by Cllr Shelly Herterich Quinn (FF) and seconded by Cllr Gabe Cronnelly (Ind), councillors of the Athenry Oranmore Municipal District unanimously agreed to make parking in the Backlawn from September to November, with a view to making it permanently free if it successfully increases business in the town.

According to Cllr Herterich Quinn, who said she lived beside the car park and saw daily how underused it is, making parking free would increase the number of spaces in the town centre for more vulnerable road users.

“If we allow it to be free, then it might encourage people to park there, thereby freeing up parking in town and people who are elderly or infirm could use the on-street parking,” she said.

Concurring, Cllr Cronnelly said making parking free would not take up any man hours and said while the car park was much used for games in Kenny Park, it was empty most of the time outside that.

“If the car park was used a bit more, there would be less litter around the clothes banks and bottle banks too.

“In the long-term, I’d be looking to make it free,” he added.

In a report read by Senior Executive Engineer in Roads Paula Higgins said, on average, the 92-space car park was used by six or seven cars per day and the annual take from the Council was €6,000.

While the Council executive welcomed the trial free parking, it requested that councillors find some measure of its success in relation to the suggested impact on the town centre, residents and local businesses.

Cllr Liam Carroll (FG) said he regularly passes the car park and rarely sees any cars in it – adding that estimates by his colleagues of five cars were probably even overstated.

“You wonder, when community wardens have to do a cash call, if the revenue in the machine is even covering the cost of the cash call.

“The way rural towns are going, a lot of trade and retail is barely existing and they’re paying rates, so anything we can do, in the Council and in the Municipal District to generate footfall and revenue for business should be encouraged,” said Cllr Carroll.

Cllr Herterich said that the introduction of free parking had to be “marketed” and that signage should be erected to indicate that it was available in the town.

She also suggested that if this introduction in Athenry was successful, it should be rolled out in other areas – and that it should be done in conjunction with a clamp down on illegal parking in the town centres.

Cllr Jim Cuddy (Ind), Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District, agreed and said there would now be “no excuse” for illegal parking or for the streets to be “blocked up”.

Parking at the Backlawn Car Park is currently 70c per hour and €3 per day, but from the first of September to November 30, it will be free.

A second part of Cllr Herterich Quinn’s motion, which called for the introduction of free Christmas parking in Athenry was deferred as it was agreed this should be done, as usual, at the Plenary Council session in November when all towns in the County would be considered for the initiative.