Councillors will be urged to bring in €1 an hour payment for the town centre
DROGHEDA councillors are being urged to introduce a ‘zoned’ payment system when the pay parking returns within months.
A premium level of €1.00 per hour has been suggested for West Street - with a time limit - while for other streets it should be 80c per hour.
A series of suggestions were put forward at the meeting with the broad acceptance that €1.20 was too dear, given that Dundalk is €1.00.
Local resident Ann McVeigh asked why were the bye-laws in Louth all different - despite claims that there was ‘only one council’ in Louth.
‘Dundalk is cheaper than Drogheda and Ardee is free. Parking charges need to be reduced and for people coming in from Tullyallen, Duleek, Collon and other places, there needs to be more free car parks on the edge of town. Bye-laws should be for the county.’
Green Lanes man Pat Kirwan said residents had little say in parking in the town and he wanted to know was all the money raised in Drogheda spent in the town.
He is only too aware of the fall out from the pay parking debacle.
‘Last Thursday I saw a queue to get into the Bolton Square car park. The old fire station had 100 spaces, that’s a great loss.’
He also felt that Donaghy’s Mill should be used for parking.
Former Louth councillor Hugh D Conlon said he was in the local authority for 20 years and where it all went wrong for Drogheda was in 2014. ‘ That’s when the town council was abolished. This town had its own administration and the buck stopped in Fair Street. Today, you are being ruled by Dundalk.’
Frank Godfrey agreed. ‘ There’s a bit of hatred for Drogheda and we feel hard done by. We are not being listened to.’
He had invited Louth CC to the meeting but no-one turned up. ‘ The council need to hold a meeting and explain the situation to the people,’ he added. ‘ There is no accountability.’