Council discuss changes to parking by-laws

CHANGES to the parking by-laws across the Enniscorthy District came up for discussion at last week’s meeting of the Municipal District Council. Mick McCormack from Wexford County Council from the roads department outlined that there are 1,065 council pay parking spaces in Enniscorthy and said that the reason for changing the by-laws was to modernise and also to ensure that there is a turnover in spaces that could be used by shoppers in the town centre.

While a lot of the parking regulations would remain the same under the new plans, it was suggested that Friary Hill, Friary Lane, Court Street, Fairview Terrace and Spout Lane be changed to two hour pay parking zones.

It was then suggested that the Ross Road, Redmond Street, Patrick Street, Patrick’s Place, Wafer Street Upper, Mernagh Street, Parnell Road, Hospital Lane, St John’s Street, Mill Park Road and Pearse Road all be changed to long term 10 hour parking. Cllrs Keith Doyle and John O’Rourke suggested that this may not be the best idea, however.

‘ There’s a big car park at the bottom of the Ross Road,’ said Cllr Doyle. ‘Why would people use that if they can park on the Ross Road all day?’

It was then suggested that the likes of the Ross Road, Patrick Street, Patrick’s Place and Wafer Street all be made two hour pay parking, rather than ten.

Finally, under the new by-laws, parking will be free with a maximum stay of three hours at Enniscorthy burial ground car park, Market Square Bunclody and The Mall Bunclody.

Cllr O’Rourke then asked if there would be additional man-power available to enforce the parking laws and Mr McCormack said that the council was looking to recruit an additional warden with a county-wide remit in addition to Enniscorthy’s one full-time and one part-time traffic warden, while Cllr Barbara Anne Murphy pointed out that it would make more sense to be four hours free parking in Bunclody, so people could move their cars on their lunch breaks.

The councillors then voted in favour of the changes and it will now go back before the County Council sitting for adoption.