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Free parking will hit Council coffers

October 10th, 2020 7:05 AM

By Kieran O'Mahony

Cllr Sean O’Donovan said Bandon business picked up this summer. (Photo: Denis Boyle)

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COUNCILLORS have agreed to the suspension of pay parking in both Bandon and Kinsale, but have been warned by Council officials that the loss of revenue will affect services.

Two motions on pay parking were passed at last week’s meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District in County Hall.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind), called for the suspension of pay parking until a countywide policy is implemented by Cork County Council and said it wasn’t fair that Bandon should be tagged as the only town in West Cork ‘west of the Viaduct’ to have pay parking.

‘Every town should have the same policy of pay parking and until they come up with a proposal, then it should be suspended,’ said Cllr Coleman.

Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) pointed out that Clonakilty is ‘booming’ and has no pay parking and questioned why Bandon can’t have the same measures.

Cllr Sean O’Donovan (FF) also raised a motion calling for the suspension of pay parking for the next 12 months.

‘Business has picked up since the summer suspension and the Bandon Business Association (BBA) are against it full stop, as am I,’ said Cllr O’Donovan.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) said this move is a step in the wrong direction and that it would have an impact on community grants.

Municipal District officer Enda O’Halloran said that the suspension of pay parking will have an effect on services.

Between the start of October 2018 and the end of  October 2019, Bandon took in €107,000 (€75,000 in parking charges and €31,500 in fines) and Kinsale €290,000 (€240,000 in parking charges and €49,700 in fines).

‘If pay parking goes, that’s an enormous chunk of money that Cork County Council will have to come up with elsewhere,’ Mr O’Halloran pointed out to the councillors.

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