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MLA Justin McNulty has called on the Minister for Infrastructure to follow through on her commitment to introduce a one hour free parking trial in Newry, highlighting how the city has the highest number of parking tickets issued per capita in the North.
Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday 11 November, Mr McNulty made a statement on Newry's controlled parking zone status, revealing that 763 Penalty Charge Notices were successfully appealed in the Newry, Mourne and Down Council area.
The Newry and Armagh MLA said: "The fact that such a large number of these tickets were able to be successfully overturned further emphasises just how excessively these charges are meted out."
He argued that allowing for areas with free parking based on certain time limits is important for uplifting local businesses by encouraging people to visit the city centre without fear of receiving a parking charge.
Mr McNulty said: "My colleagues, Councillors Doire Finn and Killian Feehan, brought the issue of free parking in Newry to Council in July 2024, and it is disappointing that we are still waiting for action over a year later."
Cllr Finn emphasised the importance of "welcoming people to shop at Newry businesses, especially during the busy holiday season," while Cllr Feehan pointed to the "importance of making it as easy as possible for people to get to their work and do their bits and pieces about the town without worrying about parking tickets."
Minister Kimmins in her reply suggested that she is looking at doing something over the Christmas spell. Minister Kimmins said "I am acutely aware that we need to do something. I have some options to look at, and we are going back and forth on them. We will try to do something around the Christmas period if possible. It would obviously be something that does not require us to change legislation, because that is a lengthy process. It is important to reflect on why the charges came into place. There was a need for them, but we are now in a different space, and I recognise the need to review how beneficial they are"
