IT WILL be at least six months, possibly much longer, before street parking rules in Enniskillen town centre will be enforced again, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has confirmed.
While the ‘redcoats’, as they are known locally, can still be seen around the county town enforcing rules in local car parks – which are Council run – the wardens currently have no power to enforce the rules surrounding street parking in the town, which falls under the responsibility of DfI.
The current lack of parking enforcement is a result of the changes to the layout of town centre parking as part of the Enniskillen Public Realm Scheme, with new legislation needed for the new spaces, and has been causing much heartache to local businesses and disabled drivers alike.
With many local workers now parking for full days in on-street spaces, as there is currently no charge for doing so, some local businesses have reported a drop off in trade as customers struggle to find spaces near their shops.
Meanwhile, local Blue Badge drivers have also reported difficulties finding a disabled parking spot, with non-Blue Badge holding cars taking up spaces all day long. Again, the wardens currently have no power to fine such inconsiderate drivers in the town.
One of those Blue Badge holders who has encountered difficulties is Cllr Victor Warrington, who raised the issue at the Council in December after he arrived for a meeting at the Townhall in Enniskillen for a meeting to find two cars were parked in the disabled bays outside.
After making enquiries, Cllr Warrington learned one of the cars belonged to a local worker, who returned to park in the space the next day.
Appealing to drivers in the town to respect disabled spaces, Cllr Warrington requested the Council write to DfI asking for a timeline for when parking rules will be enforced again.
The Department has now responded, and said it will be some time before the required legislation is put in place.
In a letter due to be delivered to the Council’s environmental services committee tonight (Wednesday), Julie Harrison from DfI explained that following the completion of the Public Realm Scheme, previous parking restriction “became obsolete due to the physical changes to the street layout.”
Ms Harrison said a re-mapping exercise of all new parking arrangements had recently been completed, and schedules of restrictions and mapping would soon be issued to the Department’s team responsible for introducing the new legislation.
However, she said unfortunately there were a number of steps in the process before it would come into operation.
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