Parking meters – Charlestown shouts 'Stop'

PARKING meters will be flung by infuriated residents into the local river if introduced in Charlestown, it has been claimed

The grim prediction was made by Councillor Gerry Murray during a debate on parking charges at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council.

Controversially, the authority proposes to extend parking charges to a further eight Mayo towns – Charlestown, Swinford, Kiltimagh, Crossmolina, Knock, Swinford, Foxford and Belmullet.

Council management hope to raise an additional €400,000 revenue from parking charges.

But elected members are united in their opposition to the measure.

Sinn Féin representative Gerry Murray describes the plan to erect 20 parking meters in Charlestown as 'utter madness'.

He said the local community are infuriated.

They are so angry, he maintained, they are likely to tear the machines down and throw them in the local river (which flows through the town).

The councillor said Charlestown, which has been hit by a marked decline in customer footfall, will, under the proposed new arrangement, have to compete with neighbouring towns such as Ballaghaderreen and Tubbercurry which have no parking charges.

Other councillors also voiced opposition to to the extended car parking system as mooted.

Members of each Municipal District (Castlebar, Claremorris, Ballina and West Mayo) will have the final say on whether the new parking regime, as outlined by the council's director of services, Tom Gilligan, is adopted.