Dismay at on-street parking tariffs increase
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) has expressed surprise and dismay at the Infrastructure Ministers’ decision to hike on-street car charges in Lisburn without any consultation with traders’ groups.
On-street parking tariffs in Lisburn will increase from Monday, February 20.
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Hide AdCharges in Lisburn City Centre will increase by 20p per hour from 60p to 80p per hour.
In Belfast City Centre, charges will increase by 20p per hour from £1.20 to £1.40, while a number of streets on the edge of the city centre with a current charge of 80p per hour will increase to £1.20 per hour.
Charges in Newry will increase from 40p to 60p per hour.
Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “This decision to hike car parking charges in Belfast, Newry and Lisburn city centres without any consultation is completely unacceptable. We are strongly opposed to this and will be lobbying the new Infrastructure Minister after the Assembly Election to reverse this disgraceful and unnecessary move”
“Rather than increasing Parking Charges, the Minister should be reducing them to encourage more people to come into the three city centres. The only winners from this hike are the big out of town superstores with their unfair competitive advantage of free car-parking and no over zealous traffic attendants”
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Hide Ad“We will be fighting this hike and will be engaging with all political parties during the Assembly Election to ensure Belfast, Lisburn and Newry City Centres get a fair deal on Car Parking”
Commenting on the change in tariffs, Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard said: “On-street parking tariffs in Belfast have not increased since 2011 and have therefore not kept pace with inflation. Similarly, tariffs in Newry and Lisburn have not increased since 2009 and 2008.
“On-street parking provides a vital resource for shoppers and visitors and is an important support for the economic and social life of our towns and cities and for that reason I have limited these increases to the minimum possible.”