Parking charges increase in Omagh agreed despite UUP objection

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council has pushed through a controversial decision to increase parking charges at three council-owned car parks across the district despite objections from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

The change in pricing will affect three council-owned car parks, two in Enniskillen and one in Omagh.

On March 4, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council agreed to increase the cost of parking at the New Brighton Terrace car park in Omagh and the Quay Lane South and Shore Road West car parks in Enniskillen.

Motorists are currently charged 40p for three hours to park in the central locations. However, under the new proposals, this will rise to 40p per hour.

A ‘call in’ which was made by six UUP councillors; Rosemary Barton, Mark Ovens, Victor Warrington, Roy Crawford, John McClaughry and Robert Irvine, which allows them to ask for further examination of an issue before it is implemented, was rejected by council.

In the UUP submission, the councillors claimed the decision around the car parking charges was made without giving ‘full and proper consideration’ to the potential impact on local businesses.

Speaking at the council’s monthly meeting last night, Councillor Rosemary Barton said: “There is no clear evidence that these increases would be of any financial gain to the council or be of very little financial gain, and that is the reason for the call-in and that we don’t support the proposed changes.”

This proposal was seconded by SDLP councillor Adam Gannon, whose party also did not support changes to parking charges, stating it would ‘effect working people’.

This was disputed by a number of councillors at the council meeting, which took place at the Grange in Omagh.

Sinn Féin Councillor Tommy Maguire said that he was contacted by a number of residents about the different pricing across the district rather than the price changes.

Cllr Maguire said: “I was contacted this week about this issue from a constituent, and they were not talking about increases; they wanted to know why two of the car parks in Enniskillen were 40p for three hours and the others were 40p for one hour.

“There were talking about the nonsense of having this inequitable arrangement in certain car parks. So I am quite happy with the decision that was made at the committee, and I say we adopt the position.”

This was seconded by Sinn Féin Councillor Dermot Browne, who stated: “I don’t recognise this accusation that we weren’t informed and we did not have all the information at the committee. We were given an extensive briefing by the director.”

A vote was taken, and the council voted in favour of going by the initial decision to alter the charges of the three car parks, with 22 councillors voting for the decision and 14 against.