Concerns Strabane parking charges have led to loss of footfall

CONCERNS have been raised that car parking charges may have led to a drop in shopper footfall in Strabane town centre.

At a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council last week, Sinn Féin councillor Paul Boggs said a number of business owners had contacted him in relation to parking and “the link their making to a decrease in footfall”.

The Strabane councillor subsequently proposed that the council mandates officers to carry out a scoping exercise in relation to “suggested actions which could incentivise town centre shopping”.

The proposal requested a report, to be presented at a future meeting, on the impact of free parking, potential increased footfall through free car parking days, and possible parking tariff reductions in the town centre.

“Businesses feel that the current parking arrangements, predominantly in relation to council-owned car parks, are pushing people out of the town centre,” Cllr Boggs said.

“Obviously, as Strabane’s out of the city and has a lot of rural hinterland, there isn’t as much public transport, so they have no other option than to bring cars and used paid car parks.

“If businesses are coming to us with an issue we have to look at it, while also taking in the realistic impact it has on car park as a revenue-raising mechanism.”

Independent councillor Jason Barr said he had also been approached by independent retailers about the issue.

He said, “It’s the local, independent retailers that are affected by this, and that’s the people we need to be supporting as local councillors.”

Speaking after his proposal was supported, Cllr Boggs said, “While at this stage this is a scoping exercise, Sinn Féin are committed to working with local businesses, the local BID and Council officers to help support local, independent businesses.”