Review of town parking provision to be carried out

Castletown Commissioners will undertake a review of parking provision

A review of parking provision across a town in the south of the Isle of Man is set to be carried out by the local authority for the area.

Castletown Commissioners voted in favour of undertaking a strategic plan of the town's short-term, medium-term and long-term parking.

It follows public feedback, sparked by previous plans to pedestrianise Market Square during the winter, that there was not enough parking in the centre or close to the shops.

Vice-chairman John Cringle said there was a "finite" amount of parking in he town and it was "really important" different areas were considered for designation.

The review is due to be completed in the autumn.

'Finding a balance'

The plan, which will consider the views of local residents, would run alongside a separate review into the future parking provision at Market Square.

Cringle said it was about "finding the balance" so residents felt they were "not disadvantaged by having to park miles away from their home, but equally that visitors can feel they can have a period of time where they can walk around and go to the shops."

He said a new plan would be open to change and the commissioners would be "big enough" to acknowledge if it had not worked or if there were areas for improvement.

There had not been a "significant review" into the town's parking before, but there was a feeling that the current provision "was not being used efficiently", he said.

The idea was to have the shorter-term parking in the town centre, with more medium and longer-term parking further out, he added.