Council U-turn on Noble's Park parking charges

The pay-and-display parking meter remains covered

Planned charges for parking in the paddock area near the TT grandstand in Noble's Park have been dropped by Douglas Council.

A pay-and-display machine was installed by the local authority in April, with charges expected to be £1 for up to 24 hours, to prevent vehicles parking for extended periods.

Complaints were made by the Isle of Man Police Federation (IOMPF) and a petition by local residents raised concerns about the displacement of cars into residential streets nearby.

At the July meeting of council, members agreed the "current arrangement" should continue.

Parking in the area will stay free of charge for cars

The idea of charging for parking in the area was first mooted before the coronavirus pandemic.

The council said officers had originally recommended that "a strong evidence-based enforcement approach" would be needed to "prevent the unauthorised storage of motorhomes and commercial vehicles".

Until a meter could be bought and installed, it was agreed that parking for cars should be limited to a period of up to 24 hours.

Formal plans for the introduction of charges were then submitted in May 2021.

The following year, the IOMPF said was a "bit of a kick in the teeth" for officers on low incomes who parked in the area for work and were already struggling.

Parking on the site is not available during the TT and Manx Grand Prix

At the July meeting of the local authority, councillors agreed that 24-hour parking had achieved the original objective.

It means cars, but not motorhomes, can continue to park at the site for up to a day without a permit, disc or a ticket and campervans and caravans can stay for a maximum of four days.

Meanwhile, it was proposed the only change should be to introduce the pay-and-display system for motorhome parking in the "boneyard" area of the park "to ensure it is properly controlled".

Parking by motorhomes in other parts of Noble's Park are already subject to charges.

Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.