Trim opts for free Saturday afternoon parking to boost local trade

Trim Town Council has passed a resolution to provide free car parking in the Emmet Street and Watergate Street car parks on Saturday afternoons to help support businesses in the town. A motion to this effect was put forward by cathaoirleach Cllr Trevor Golden and received cross-party support at last week"s meeting of Trim Town Council. Cllr Golden suggested that to help support consumers, local business and tourism in the area, the council should offer free parking in the Emmet Street and Haggard Street car parks on a Saturday from 12 noon to 6pm and that this would be reviewed after 12 weeks. The maximum parking period of two hours would still apply. However, it was agreed that they would not include the Haggard Street car park at this stage while roadworks on Loman Street are ongoing. Instead Town Clerk Brian Murphy suggested that they provide free parking in the car park at the back of the old swimming pool. Town Manager Kevin Stewart said they had already spoken about the difficulties facing businesses in the town and that with the under-utilisation of certain parking spaces in the town at weekends, he did not see any difficulty with the proposal. He said it was a 'good signal' to businesses but commented that policing the two hours could be a problem if there was no ticket to say how long a car had been there. Mr Stewart did point out that if the cost was significant, they may need to look at the proposal again as paid parking is being used to service the council"s €5m loan and he expected that other revenue-generating areas, such as planning and rents income, were down. Mr Murphy said that the Emmet Street car park was fine but that the Haggard Street car park was being-utilised. He said he did not see free parking working at Haggard Street while works are ongoing. He suggested that they use the swimming pool car park for the 12-week period instead. Cllr Danny O"Brien also suggested that businesses put notices in their windows to advise customers that there is free parking for the first 10 minutes and also that there is free parking on a Saturday afternoon. Cllr Robbie Griffith pointed out that a lot of people are parking in Griffin Park and that the residents are 'kicking up hell'. He said that people can"t park their own cars there any more. Cllr Ray Butler asked that there be free parking in the whole town on Saturday afternoons, particularly with Loman Street being closed. He said takings are down for a lot of local businesses. However, Cllr Golden said they had a €5m loan to service. He added that Trim was the first town to give free parking at Christmas and are building on it and 'doing things that no others are doing'. Cllr Phil Cantwell said they should do anything they can to help businesspeople. Cllr Jimmy Peppard said the gesture would show traders that they are willing to work with them in the difficult times. He added that the issue of Griffin Park was going to have to be resolved and said it was not just the parking issue, but also that it is a 'run through' and a major problem for people living in the area. It was agreed than an official notice be circulated to businesses in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce that they could put in their windows to advise customers that free parking will be available on Saturday afternoons.