The Public Consultation results Council didn't want you to see

In January 2022, the Newry Reporter published the results of the “Consultation on Car Park Charging in Forest Parks” – the public consultation results the council didn’t want the public to see.

As was widely expected, with the council’s refusal to release the results and the Director responsible refusing to answer a councillor in public when challenged on the consultation, the public had given a resounding rebuke to council plans to park in Kilbroney or Slieve Gullion forest parks.

Results didn’t make any difference

As with the results of the council’s public consultation into the Newry City Centre Regeneration projects - to which there were almost 1600 respondents and over 6000 comments - that overwhelmingly rejected the idea of building a new council HQ at the back of Newry Cathedral, the council chose to ignore the parking charge results too. It didn’t make any difference what the public thought.

There was an even bigger response to the parking charge consultation than to the Newry City consultation, with 1666 people giving their views on charged parking in council forest parks.

One question asked was would ‘local residents’ purchase an ‘Annual Pass’ for car parking at their most regularly visited park. Of the 1666 who responded:

• 75% (1251) said ‘Definitely Not’ or ‘Probably Not’.
• Just over 7% (119) saying they ‘Definitely’ or ‘Probably’.
• Of the 868 participants who provided ‘any other comments’, 87.9% opposed the introduction of or ongoing charges at the parks.

Of the 1666 participants, the majority were female (56%), males accounted for 28%, while 16% left this question blank.

The majority (52%) were aged between 26 and 50 with 51-75 year-olds accounting for the next highest at 26%.

Representation of people 25 and under, and over 75 accounted for 5% and 1% respectively. 15% of respondents left the question blank.

The park visited most regularly was Kilbroney Park at 67% of all 1666 respondents, 27% said Slieve Gullion Forest Park and 5% Delamont Country Park.

Kilbroney Park

1,120 of the 1,666 participants said that the park they visited most regularly was Kilbroney Park.

Those 1,120 participant were asked about purchasing a discounted annual pass for car parking at Kilbroney Park:

• 67% (751) saying they would ‘Definitely Not’
• 110 Probably Not
• 81 Not Sure
• 58 Probably
• 55 left blank
• 65 (6%) advising that they ‘Definitely Would’ consider it. 

The majority of respondents from each category of miles travelled to get to Kilbroney, said that they would ‘Definitely Not’ purchase a discounted annual pass for car parking with 73% of those living between zero and five miles away and 64% of those living between 6 and 10 miles away. 

Some 84% of those who said they visit daily said they would definitely not purchase a discounted annual pass. 

Slieve Gullion Forest Park 

Of the 1666 participants in the survey, 453 said that Slieve Gullion was the park they visited most regularly. 

Those 453 participants were asked about purchasing an annual pass for car parking at Slieve Gullion:

• 59% (266)  aid they would; 
• ‘Definitely Not’
• 71 said Probably Not
• 35 Not Sure
• 41 Probably
• 14 left blank
• 26 (6%) said they ‘Definitely Would’. 

Those that visited one to three times a week had the highest percentage of respondents who said they would ‘Definitely Not’ pay with 67%, while 50% of those who visited less than once a month said they would ‘Definitely Not’ pay. 

Delamont Country Park 

Charges are already in place for car parking in Delamont Park. The number of people responding to the survey who said it was their most regularly visited park was only 81 respondents of the total 1,666. 

Of those that did respond, when asked about purchasing a discounted annual pass for car parking 28% (23) advised that they would ‘Definitely Not’ purchase a discounted annual pass; 11 Probably Not; 8 Not Sure; 14 Probably; 7 Blank; while 22% (18) said they ‘Definitely Would ‘consider purchasing a pass. 

Equality Issues 

Participants were asked if they were aware of any equality of opportunity, good relations or rural needs implications associated with the introduction of parking charges at Forest Parks and Country Parks? 

Some 462 participants responded to this question. Responses were categorised and grouped with the top responses being: 

• Impact on those with Lower Income 137
• General Comments Opposed to Introduction of Charging 103
• Concerns Around Issues Caused by Parking on Public Highway 94
• Impact on Health and Wellbeing 76 

Are there any other comments? 

There were 868 participants who responded in this question: 

• 87.9% (763) of those who provided responses opposed the introduction of, or ongoing charges at, the parks. 
• The main reasons for opposition included: 

• Concerns around alternative parking
• Concerns as Ratepayers
• Need to preserve access to sites for health, mental health and well-being
• Impact on those with low income 
• 39 (4.49%) supported the introduction of charges