Council reassessing parking bye-laws

Cavan County Council is in the process of reviewing and updating existing parking bye-laws, focusing initially on Cavan Town where parking has become a contentious issue for both businesses and residents.

The first draft of the proposed changes has already been completed, and key stakeholders including Strategic Policy Groups, the local Chamber of Commerce, and council members, have all been consulted. Engagement is expected to continue with public consultation set to take place later this year.

Among the proposals under consideration is the possible extension of paid parking zones, including areas around Con Smith Park and Railway Road.

Director of Services, Paddy Connaughton, stressed the importance of striking a fair balance: “If you don’t have controlled parking, how do you stop someone from leaving their car there all day? We want to meet the needs of everybody- the right balance between disabled bays and people who want to get in and out quickly.”

Mr Connaughton was speaking to this newspaper having earlier briefed elected members on the development at their June monthly meeting. The discussion came about on foot of a motion tabled by Independent Brendan Fay, who asked for a countywide review of parking and for the council to bring forward measures to ensure that all parking is clearly marked and enforced in line with the flow of traffic.

His motion was supported by Fianna Fáil’s John Paul Feeley and Patricia Walsh, as well as Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady.

With respect to the proposed changes to bye-laws, Mr Connaughton told councillors that, from initial engagements with businesses, there is a desire within the community for greater parking enforcement.

“Parking is a challenging issue,” Mr Connaughton told councillors, adding that they would “look at” proposals to impose restrictions with regards to traffic flow.

Another suggestion being explored is the introduction of a 20-minute free parking period, which could encourage short visits to the county town without creating long-term obstructions.

While age-friendly parking bays are often discussed, and were brought up during the council meeting debate, Mr Connaughton points out that such spaces are not backed up by statutory regulation and rely merely on voluntary compliance.

“It’s very much an honour system. So we have to look at how that can be best managed as well.”

Multi-storey carpark

The recently reopened multi-storey car park in Cavan Town is meanwhile being promoted as a cost-effective and accessible solution.

Offering a €365 annual pass, or daily and weekly rates of €2 and €10 respectively, Mr Connaughton said the council approached the recent €4.5M refurbishment from a “position of positivity”.

Additionally, investment in a parking app is planned as part of the broader parking modernisation strategy for Cavan Town. Mr Connaughton however acknowledges that not all users are ready to transition away from traditional coin-operated machines.

“It’s about pulling it all together. In that whole area you’re trying to keep ahead of technology. Most towns and cities have gone away from parking machines completely,” Connaughton concluded.

“I think in Cavan we’re not fully ready for that system yet. People still like to have the option to use coins.”