'Very unfair' parking charges 'affecting footfall' in this Tipperary town

Clonmel’s town centre is showing the effects of being treated “very unfairly” when it comes to parking charges because it doesn’t get the same footfall as other towns.

This was stated by Cllr Pat English at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District.

He said that almost half of the money collected in parking charges in the county came from Clonmel, where charges are higher than in other towns.

He said that these charges hadn’t changed in the ten years since Clonmel Borough District was established following the amalgamation of North and South Tipperary County Councils.

The charges should be harmonised across the county, he said.

Cllr Richie Molloy said that when people dropped children to school in Clonmel in the morning, their priority was to “get out of town as quickly as possible” in case they received a parking ticket.

An hour’s free parking in the morning would make all the difference and would encourage people to stay in the town.

He acknowledged that half an hour’s free parking is available in the Mary Street car park but he said that timeframe is “too tight”.

Cllr Niall Dennehy supported his colleagues, but said that when “the money boys” looked at the proposal for harmonisation it would probably mean an increase for everybody else rather than a reduction in the Clonmel charges.

In a written reply to Cllr English’s request, District Administrator Carol Creighton said that some preliminary work had been undertaken in relation to the harmonisation of parking charges across the county. Earlier this year the SPC (Strategic Policy Committee) considered the challenges associated with this.

The next steps would be to further discuss options with the new SPC when it was put in place, and it would then bring a recommendation to Tipperary County Council.

Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said she looked forward to hearing the proposals of the SPC.

District Mayor Michael Murphy said that 46 percent of the parking revenue raised in the county came from Clonmel. There was a real anomaly in this because on-street charges were €1.20 per hour in Clonmel, but as little as 50 cent per hour in other towns. He didn’t believe this issue would be resolved in the SPC format.

Cllr Murphy said that options needed to be explored to find a solution, such as extending the free parking time in the Mary Street car park in the morning, or making an hour’s free parking available throughout the day.

He said this issue was a priority for him as Mayor and he had previously raised it with the county council’s Director of Roads and former council CEO Joe MacGrath.

Acting Town Manager Jonathan Cooney said that, having spoken to the county council’s roads directorate, this matter is under consideration for all towns in the county.