Parking ‘deal’ could have led to Buttergate works and a big boost for our tourist office
Dear Sir,
The rejection of my motion to maintain parking charges at €1.20 and ringfence approx €300,000 per year for spending was a missed opportunity to make the town a better place. We could have set out a 5 year plan for the town under the following headings:
1) Heritage : Rebuild the Buttergate,the Heritage Officer estimates the rebuild costs are approx €380,000. Our contribution would be €160,00 as the rest would come from the Department. So allocation per year for 5 years from Drogheda Borough is €32,000.
Also, we could allocate money toward our heritage sites in Drogheda, eg, The Old Abbey, Magdalene Tower, The Town Walls etc. Cost approx €30,000 per year.
2) Tourism:The Tourist office is in danger of closing we could fund it to remain open and promote Drogheda as a Heritage Town. Cost per year approx €20,000.
3) Housing: Create a contingency fund for emergency repairs to social housing so that in the event there was a shortfall in LCC then Drogheda Borough could step in and fund repairs. Cost per year approx €50,000.
4) Municipal Sports Pitches: The land is purchased, however there is a shortfall of €150,000. We could allocate €30,000 per year over 5 years to complete the project.
5) Establish a Community Fund: Allocation per year approx €50,000.
6) Implement the Urban Design Framework for Drogheda: This work would be ongoing but on completion would completely transform the town. Allocation per year: €70,000.
7) Low Cost Safety Measures: Allocate approx €18,000 euro per year to controlling speed in housing estates.
This could all be achieved by keeping the parking rate at €1.20, a rate that people have paid for the past 7 years and I think people in Drogheda would not mind paying this rate if they could see the difference it would make to their town.