Youghal Town Council arrived at the proposed new Draft Road Traffic & Car Park Bye Laws 2010 via a 90-minute journey at a specially convened meeting on Monday January 18th. Before the councillors were draft proposals regarding alterations to the parking bye laws, as compiled by the town council executive. By Christy Parker

These included a 50c per hour car park charge with the first two or three hours free and a €10 weekly permit allowing indefinite parking in any car park. Other bye-laws alterations to be considered, involved reviewed fees for construction vehicles and doctors’ parking permits.

The issue was driven by commercial expediency, with general acceptance that the council desperately needs increased revenue and that traffic flow on the town’s main street and car parks is lamentably slow, with a detrimental effect on trading The councillors present were Cllrs McLellan (mayor), Beecher, Hennessy, Daly, Coyne, Revins and Linehan Foley.

The town clerk clarified that the meeting would discuss and vote on the proposals before they went for public consultation over six weeks. The submissions would subsequently return to the council to be adopted or otherwise.

Tentative start

The opening exchanges were tentative. Cllr Sammy Revins quickly emphasised he was on record as vowing never to vote for paid parking and would be maintaining this position. He conceded though that he might review his position if paid parking was introduced in Midleton.

Cllr Mary Linehan Foley said her position remained that paid street parking should be balanced by free car parks, especially in these recessionary times and to dissuade shoppers from travelling out of town. She said Youghal people were shopping in Midleton and Dungarvan due to such attractions as Heaton’s and Dunnes while their own town doesn’t have comparable attractions to justify paid car parks.  The councillor also noted that business employees were using much of the available car parks spaces in Youghal. “But if you removed paid street parking, they’d park there instead. We can’t win,” she added.

Cllr Michael Beecher said he recognised the revenue concerns but was ‘shocked” that paid parking was being considered. Nonetheless he believed something -other than paid parking- should be done to free up car park spaces, especially regarding cars parked while the occupants took the bus to shop in Cork.

Cllr Michelle Hennessy also rejected metre’d car parks but favoured increasing the on street parking charges from 80c to €1. Her colleagues agreed that this was an affordable increase and that the rate was more conveniently deposited than 80c. The councillor supported a €10 weekly car park permit but Cllr Revins said that initiative demanded a car park payment system operating in the first place.

Amidst comparisons with Midleton, Dungarvan and Fermoy, Mr. Ryan said there are paid street and car park system in both Dungarvan and Fermoy and the figures indicated car park revenue to be higher than street parking revenue by ratios of 2:1 and 3:respectively.

Statistical persuasion

The town clerk provided statistics to suggest that every car parked in a “properly managed” town centre car space generated an average of €25 for the local economy, or €50,000 annually. A turnover of 6-10 spaces per day, he argued, could increase the turnover to €120,000 per space per annum. Furthermore, on national figures, each car parking space costs €15,000 to construct. The fundamental purpose of paid parking, he proceeded, was “to increase traffic and business turnover, with the revenue invested in town centre projects.”

Mr. Ryan contested that turnover of the 440 spaces currently available was being compromised for three reasons: 1) Resident parking permits being extended to the main streets; 2) parking in car parks prior to taking the bus; 3) people clogging up car parks all day.

Cllr Linehan Foley remarked, with some scepticism, that some €40 per annum Resident Permits allowed business owners to park on the street indefinitely, while the council were now discussing charging their customers to use car parks. Cllr Revins counteracted that very few business owners held resident permits. Cllr Hennessy replied that many business people live in adjoining laneways, etc and have little alternative.

As the myriad of sub-texts unfolded, the discussion meandered into the custom of hackney drivers parking far beyond the five-minute ‘set down’ time legally allocated to their bays. However, this was deemed a garda issue and the matter itself was parked, so to speak.

Cllr Dave Daly asked whether a 15 or 30 minute ‘grace’ period, similar to that operated in Dungarvan, might have a beneficial bearing on trade, but the town clerk said such a system is almost impossible to monitor and “takes considerably from revenue.” It was subsequently noted that most drivers seem unaware of Youghal’s free on street parking from 1-2pm, despite it being displayed on machines.

Half way there

Half way through the session it was generally agreed that the street parking increase to €1 was acceptable, with the 20c minimum charge to be retained, subject to review. Cllr Linehan Foley was reluctant but eventually concurred.

There was a general consensus by now also that car park fees were both necessary and acceptable and discussion turned towards what formula would be deployed. It was felt that 50c per hour was a moderate proposal although Mayor McLellan suggested three hour limit be imposed, regardless. Cllr Hennessy said this was impractical in the case of employees, who needed to park all day. Cllr Revins mooted a four-hour limit, which would dovetail either side of the lunchtime break.

Amidst renewed uncertainty, Cllr Hennessy tentatively suggested consulting the Chamber of Commerce regarding parking permits for staff. Cllr Revins countered that the meeting was intended to establish a draft proposal for public consideration and “the chamber can write in their submissions” in due course.

50c and free hours

Cllr Hennessy returned to the 50c per hour issue but suggested the first three hours be free. Cllr Linehan Foley said this would be difficult to monitor. The town clerk proposed the ticket machines be activated on entry to the car park, with the result that the first 50c would effectively cover up to three hours, with a 50c charge for every subsequent hour. Cllr Beecher preferred an initial four hours for 50c. Cllr Coyne meanwhile and somewhat belatedly, expressed hesitancy over any fee, describing it as a “disincentive.”

Cllr Linehan Foley said it would “take more than 50c an hour to bring people into Youghal” before again decrying the predominant use of the car parks by employees. “The chamber should be involved in asking their staff to free up our car parks,” she insisted. Cllr Beecher still wanted 50c for the first four hours and Cllr Revins said this would be pointless as it would make the €10 per week permit economically pointless.  “Make that €5 a week then,” surmised Cllr Beecher.

Cllr Daly advocated 50c for the first three hours with a €10 per week permit.

Help the retailers….help themselves

The meeting then accepted Mayor McLellan’s recommendation of a short break to consider the options. The town clerk first reminded them that the ultimate purpose was “maximum turnover of spaces to facilitate the retail sector.” He quickly pointed out that the 2009 budget provision for rental income was €1.36m, with the actual sum gathered being only €1m. With €185,000 allowable for spread losses the deficit was €180,000. “The inability to park your car is definitely affecting Youghal businesses,” he concluded.

Cllr Linehan Foley concurred with these sentiments but warned that, “The people we are trying to help (town traders) are the sone that will hit us.” The town clerk stipulated that the council’s sole role was to accommodate a free flow of traffic, resulting in a greater turnover of car parking spaces. Thereafter it was up to the retailers to provide the merchandise of quality and variety to meet consumers’ requirements and maintain business. He said the new laws would be monitored and once the amount of income became evident it could be decided where best to invest it in town centre projects.

Finer points

Following a brief sojourn, the members again turned their attention to fine-tuning the proposals. Cllr Hennessy questioned whether resident parking permit holders would still be allowed to park on the main street as well as avail of the car parks. Mayor McLellan speculated that they should be allowed park wherever they choose. However, the town clerk again decried long term on-street parking as detrimental to trade and stipulated that permit holders be allowed park on their own street, as indicated on their permits, as well as enjoy free spaces in the car parks. This was accepted.

By now the meeting had a clearer, more unified vision and it was finally proposed that all car parks would provide the first two hours free, with each subsequent hour costing 50c (as the picket must be purchased on entering the cap park, this effectively means 50c for the first three hours). To make it more economically attractive, the weekly permit would cost half the originally proposal at €5 and would be usable in all and any car park. Tickets in all cases would be purchasable from car park metre machines.

Finally….

The voting commenced. The first aspect to be formally decided was that of a 50c charge, with the first two hours free and 50c per hour thereafter, and provision of a €5 for weekly permit. It was carried by a 5-2 majority, with Cllrs. McLellan, Beecher, Coyne, Daly and Henenssy in favour and Cllrs Revins and Linehan Foley against.

The proposal on the change of use for Resident Permits to allow free parking on one stipulated street plus any car park was passed unanimously without a vote. It was also unanimously decided, without a vote, to allow the free daily parking from 1-2pm to remain, pending public submissions. A proposal to allow doctor’s to park anywhere in Youghal for their €40 annual Doctors Permit, subject to being ‘on call’, was unanimously agreed, again without a formal vote. The final issue, again unanimously passed without vote, was a €20 daily charge for contractors’ vehicles and utilities, such as skips, etc.