NEWSLETTER
Role of Local Government In 1999 the Twentieth Amendment of the Irish Constitution was adopted by the People and the following was inserted as Section 1 of Article 28A “The State recognises the role of local government in providing a forum for the democratic representation of local communities, in exercising and performing at local level powers and functions conferred by law and in promoting by its initiatives the interests of such communities”.
COUNCIL’S MISSION STATEMENT “To deliver high quality services and infrastructure, which contribute to a better social, physical, economic and cultural environment for all who live in, work in and visit the County”.
Inside this issue:
How much revenue does the scheme generate?
2
The ‘Brand Project’ and the Parking Scheme
2
What is the Parking Scheme’s impact on Residents?
2
The Local Property Tax and the ‘Parking Tax’
3
What is the Parking Scheme’s impact on Businesses?
3
What is the Parking Scheme’s impact on Workers & Others?
3
Parking Action Group’s Objectives
4
Dún Laoghaire Parking Action Group Volume 1, Issue 1
February / March 2016
PAY & DISPLAY PARKING—A Brief History The Pay and Display Parking Scheme was introduced in the Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock and Booterstown areas in March 2002 and subsequently extended to Seapoint, Monkstown, Dalkey and Dundrum. Up to September 2004 the enforcement of the Bye-Laws was carried out by Wardens under the direct control of the Garda Síochána. Contractors were appointed in September 2004 to supervise and enforce the Parking ByeLaws and as a result the compliance rate has increased from 40% to 75%. In addition a firm of solicitors have been appointed to prosecute offenders for non-payment of parking fines and while this appointment may not be a significant revenue generator it should ensure a further increase in compliance by the motoring public. In February 2007, the County Manager stated ‘the Council is expecting a real increase in income from paid parking reflecting an expansion of paid
parking areas in the county and improved parking enforcement’ and thus confirming the emphasis on revenue generation. At the same meeting it was proposed to introduce “very limited clamping” which would be “targeted at persistent offenders.” In December 2007 the Transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) agreed with “the introduction of clamping and clamping & towing as a measure to augment enforcement of illegal parking offences e.g. double yellow lines, disabled parking bays, loading bays only (but excludes offences associated with Pay & Display and excludes residential estates except where Pay & Display is agreed) and including persistent offenders”. The Dún Laoghaire Business Association and Dún Laoghaire Community Association were totally opposed to these measures and consistently lobbied County Councillors on this issue. The dreaded clamping was never implemented here.
In 2010 the Council requested the Transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) to carry out a comprehensive review of parking issues including the residential parking zones. The Council accepted the recommendation of the Transportation SPC to subdivide Dún Laoghaire into 10 Residential Parking Zones. The Parking Control Bye-Laws were amended in 2007 and again in 2011 and following a unanimous decision of the Dún Laoghaire Area Committee in 2014, it was agreed to have the Parking Scheme reviewed by the Transportation & Countywide Movement Strategic Policy Committee. The Transportation & Countywide Movement SPC, under the Chairmanship of Cllr. Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fáil, Stillorgan) has yet to fully commence its review of the Parking Scheme. It is doubtful whether the staff resources are going to be made available for anything like the comprehensive review of the Parking Scheme.
DOES THE SCHEME MEET ITS OBJECTIVES? The Pay and Display Parking Scheme was originally introduced to ensure that the limited on-street parking spaces available in the central areas of Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthule and Dalkey would be regularly rotated. This was simply a ‘traffic management plan’ with clearly a very sensible pro-business initiative for these areas. Residents, visitors and shoppers could all
avail of on-street parking. But did the Parking Scheme work as originally intended? This very important question has been asked many times by the Dún Laoghaire Business Association and the Dún Laoghaire Community Association over the past decade or more. Not surprisingly there are no mechanisms or procedures
currently in place or have ever been developed by the County Council to provide such vitally important statistical information. In short, the County Council has no means whatsoever of monitoring the effectiveness of the Pay and Display Parking Scheme other than its ability to provide a revenue stream. Has its core purpose moved totally away from traffic management?
Page 2
Dún Laoghaire Parking Action Group
HOW MUCH REVENUE DOES THE SCHEME GENERATE? At the Special Council Meeting on its Budget (4th November 2015) the following information was provided.
IS THE REVENUE ‘RING-FENCED’ FOR THE PAY & DISPLAY AREA?
The County Council determines that income in the sum of €5,900,000 from the pay and display scheme be included in the annual budget for the financial year ending 31st December 2016 and that this sum be used for works including the Footpath Improvement Programme as set out in this table.
No. Fees collected in the Pay
and
Display
Area
WHAT DID THE “BRAND PROJECT” SAY ABOUT PARKING?
(PDA) are used to fund services
throughout
County.
The
the
revenue
generated by the Parking Scheme
is allocated
countywide
services
to
The County Council’s “Brand Project” which looked at ways to improve the economic circumstances of the Town of Dún Laoghaire issued a detailed report in 2011.
addressed as well as the larger problem of perception. 6) 1)
as
determined by Section 36 (11) (a) of the Road Traffic Act, 1994, which specifies that parking fees from a
The report entitled “A Retail Renaissance” – Dún Laoghaire Town Retail Strategy which had the following to say on parking. “Managing the ‘hype’ over parking” (page 69)
2)
3)
Pay Parking Scheme shall be disposed of in such a manner
as
the
Road
Authority may, determine by a vote of the County
Parking is neither a competitive advantage nor a disadvantage compared with other retail destinations in the area. However there are some practical problems to be
4)
5)
Retailers need to be educated in separating their own self interest regarding parking, and their commercial success as retailers. A relaxation of the "aggressive" parking enforcement would be a good initiative, at the very least on a political level. Improved directional signage, car park maps. Intelligent pricing with "happy hours" and "parking amnesties". Parking price reductions linked to purchases in the towns shops. The amount of current park-
ing is adequate - the central car parks are about 90% full. Increased footfall is required and increased car parking will be required.
The same report (page 68) said that Dún Laoghaire ‘has a history of using “scapegoats” such as parking’ as an excuse for a poor retail mix in the Town while seeking to “educate Dún Laoghaire to… “Complain in private through official and responsive channels, whilst celebrate through visible and public channels” – in order words, keep quiet about the parking issue!
Councillors.
COUNCIL OWNED CAR PARKS Clarinda Park East (56) Clarinda Park West (37) Windsor Terrace (88) West Pier (GUT) (68) West Pier Car Park (57) Cow Shed, Glasthule (34) Eden Park, Glasthule (53) Salthill/Monkstown DART Station (99)
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE SCHEME ON RESIDENTS? Many say that it’s like “living in a municipal car park”. The residents of central Dún Laoghaire are the hardest hit by the Council’s Pay and Display Parking Scheme. Many houses have no offstreet parking and must buy Residents’ Parking Permits at €45.00 per annum which, due to the zones, are only valid on your own street and the immediate adjoining streets. Outside this very restricted zone residents must pay for parking in their own town.
This makes “Visitors out of Residents” with huge costs annually.
incur huge annual costs in, what are, in reality extra local taxes.
Older or infirm residents (though not officially disabled and availing of a ‘Disabled Parking Permit’) and those with very young children need to use their cars on a daily basis to go shopping, church services, school runs or for medical or other appointments.
For example, based on just 48 weeks per annum, take an elderly couple who attend church services daily, do a weekly shop, have a monthly medical appointment and, of course, pay for their Residential Parking Permit.
Unable to walk around the Town, they have no choice but to park outside their ‘home zone’ and, in doing so, they
They fork out a whopping €657 “extra tax” per annum for just living in the centre of their hometown of Dún Laoghaire.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 3
LOCAL PROPERTY TAX AND THE LOCAL ‘PARKING TAX’ The introduction of the Local Property Tax (LPT) was to fund local services. The average Local Property Tax bill in the Dún Laoghaire Area is around €575.00 on properties valued at €350K to €400K or €650.00 up to €450K. The revenues generated by the Parking Scheme also go to fund local services throughout the County.
of the Council services throughout the County ranges from between €1,232.00 and €1,300.00. That is over twice that in the rest of the County for same services. Currently there are approximately 1,800 on-street car parking spaces in the PDA and, according to the Council,
around 1,645 Resident’s Parking Permits have been issued. The introduction of the Zones has made it too expensive for residents to use their cars in the PDA and many are forced shop and do their business outside the PDA to save money. See the chart below.
So in essence this is a ‘Parking Tax’ paid only by those resident in the Pay and Display Area (PDA). Therefore, total contribution by some residents in the Parking Zone Areas to the funding
HOW MANY SPACES ARE IN THE CAR PARKS?
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE SCHEME ON BUSINESSES? The lack of affordable car parking makes it difficult to attract staff who must use their cars to get to work. Businesses have to compete with the Council’s on-street commercial Parking Scheme for the time of their customers. Customers are forced to make a choice between time spent shopping or paying high Pay and Display Parking charges. Many choose to shop elsewhere resulting in a huge revenue loss to the local economy, damaging local businesses and
threatening our local jobs. The main pro-business reasons for the retention of the current Scheme, according to the Council (07.07.14), are as follows: * To facilitate retail/ commercial interests who want to improve turnover and the utilisation of parking spaces in retail areas. * To manage car parking within the County more effectively in areas where there is evidence of excess demand for the available spaces.
* To increase turnover of parking spaces both on-street and in off-street car parks in areas that are designated as towns and villages in order to facilitate motorists who park for short durations at the expense of those who park for extended periods. According to the County Council “there is no information available to provide a correlation between revenue from commercial rates with the operation of the Parking Control Bye-Laws”.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE SCHEME ON OTHERS? WORKERS: The lack of affordable car parking spaces in Dún Laoghaire significantly adds to the cost of working in Dún Laoghaire. People working in central Dún Laoghaire who must drive to their place of employment are forced to pay exorbitant weekly fees to commercial carparks or to constantly feed Parking Meters during the day. Employees are forced to relocate or suffer huge costs for working in Dún Laoghaire.
Attracting employees to the Town is extremely difficult. VISITORS: Undoubtedly there is a ‘negative perception’ of Dún Laoghaire due, in part, to the operation of the County Council’s Parking Scheme. Visiting relatives or friends in the PDA can be a very costly experience, especially for those looking after elderly relatives. SHOPPERS: Those who wish to shop in the Town of Dún Laoghaire or anywhere in the PDA are faced with a seri-
ous dilemma – pay high Pay and Display Parking Charges adding to their shopping bill or go elsewhere. TOURISTS: The Pay and Display Parking Scheme is a disincentive to tourists. Many choose to make non-stop drive -through visits of the Town and the seafront. Once stung with high Parking Charges many vow never to return. The current Parking Scheme effectively drives visitors from Dún Laoghaire.
The number of spaces in the various purpose built privately owned and Council car parks is as follows: Bloomfields Shopping Ctr. (550) IMC Carpark (200) Dún Laoghaire Shopping Ctr. (350) Pavilion Ctr. (322) DLR LexIcon (100) County Hall (122) Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company including the underground carpark and the forecourt (estimated as 500+) IS ‘SMART PARKING’ THE SOLUTION? No! The Boar d of the Dún Laoghaire BID Company pr oposed the introduction of ‘Smart Parking’ linked to new electronic signage and monitors placed in the roadway in car spaces individually marked out. Councillors did not accept this proposal on the grounds of cost and because it would reduce the number of on-street car spaces due to the new markings envisaged by the scheme.
Campaigning for a ‘Fair Deal’ on Parking in Dún Laoghaire & Environs
DÚN LAOGHAIRE PARKING ACTION GROUP
1, Northumberland Avenue Dún Laoghaire Co. Dublin A96 E9W6 Phone: 086 084 0129 Twitter: @DLParkingAction Facebook: www.facebook.com/ DLCA.NEWS Contact via the Facebook Page
Support the Campaign !
DÚN LAOGHAIRE PARKING ACTION GROUP The Dún Laoghaire Parking Action Group was formed in December 2014 by local residents, businesspersons and local public representatives seeking a Parking Scheme that provides a ‘Fair Deal’ for the Town of Dún Laoghaire, its residents, businesses and those who work in or visit our Town. The campaign objectives of the Action Group are: ONE ZONE for the Town of Dún Laoghaire. MAXIMUM Par king Charge of €1.00 per hour REDUCE the Pay and Display Parking Hours to 10.00hrs to 16.00hrs (Mon. to Sat.)
OPEN UP Council owned Car Parks at Weekends
Action Group’s campaign should mean “No Vote”.
REMOVE the Council’s budgetary dependency of the Pay and Display Scheme overtime.
DECLARED CANDIDATES
PROVIDE additional public car parking spaces through the provision of purpose built public carparks in Dún Laoghaire. INVEST the pr opor tion of the development levies charged for car spaces in the provision of public carparks. The Parking Action Group encourages residents and businesspersons to proactively engage with the each of the General Election candidates and the existing County Councillors to secure their support for a ‘Fair Deal’ on parking for Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthule/Sandycove and Dalkey. No support from a General Election candidate for the
The following are the ‘declared candidates’ at the time of going to print. Others may yet declare. BAILEY, Cllr. Mar ia (Fine Gael) BOYD-BARRETT, TD, Richard (People Before Profit Alliance) CRONIN, Fr ank (R enua Ireland) DEVLIN, Cllr. Cor mac (Fianna Fáil) HANAFIN, Cllr. Mar y (Fianna Fáil) HUNT, Car ol (Independent) MITCHELLO’CONNOR, TD, Mar y (Fine Gael) O’BRIEN, Cllr. Shane (Sinn Féin) SMYTH, Cllr. Car r ie (Labour Party) SMYTH, Cllr. Ossain (Green Party)