‘Pay and display’ element for Rossville Street parking scheme in Derry being considered

A revised parking scheme with ‘an element’ of Pay and Display is being considered for the Rossville Street area of Derry.
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At a recent presentation by DfI (Department for Infrastructure) Roads, Western Division SDLP Councillor Brian Tierney spoke of the ‘huge issue’ in the area.

A scheme to address parking concerns of local residents has beenh lobbied for for many years. Five years ago it was announced that the then Transport Minister Chris Hazzard was looking to address those concerns.

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Design work was undertaken and the new DFI report noted that the ‘Rossville Street Area Residents’ Parking Scheme Formal consultation was carried out in April 2018.

Fahan Street and the Bogside.   DER2126GS - 067Fahan Street and the Bogside.   DER2126GS - 067
Fahan Street and the Bogside. DER2126GS - 067

‘There were 226 responses submitted about the proposed scheme. Of the 226 responses, there were 212 objections to the scheme.

‘Due to the significant level of opposition, an alternative scheme is being considered.’ 

Councillor Tierney said: “In relation to the Rossville area parking scheme it has been going on since I was a boy.

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“I’m born and reared in that area and know the frustration that residents have and I listen to it most days when I go to visit my parents.

“It’s a huge issue in the area, this really has been dragging on for quite some time.”

In response, David McKinley, Western Divisional Roads Manager explained a new scheme that ‘may scare’ some of the residents was being considered.

Referring to the original scheme Mr McKinley said: “We took that through and we had a much too large scheme.

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“We want to reduce that down to a smaller scheme so we attract less objections and it is much more manageable.”

Mr McKinley explained there has been a change of thinking in terms of what the new scheme would look like adding, ‘we are currently working our way through that.’ 

“This may scare some of the residents but it worked well in Rugby Road in Belfast where there is an element of pay and display along with the residents’ parking,” he said. 

“That may scare them a bit but it works fairly well because there is short term parking and the pay and display finances the traffic assistance, for the traffic wardens to come round and monitor that. They have to monitor it to make this work so we are working through that.”

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The Rugby Road scheme was introduced in Belfast in 2018. Residents living in the parking scheme zone have to apply for a valid permit from the department. Permits may also be issued for visiting a house or business. Non-permit holders will be charged a fee for parking in a pay and display bay.

Gillian Anderson

Local Democracy Reporter

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