Newry, Mourne and Down Council introduces parking fees and permits at four parks

Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor is one of two parks in the district which had always offered free entry to motorists

Parking charges and permits are to be introduced at four forest parks, Newry, Mourne and Down Council has said.

From 4 March, parking fees will apply to Kilbroney and Slieve Gullion parks, while some existing fees will rise at Delamont and Castlewellan parks.

Council residents can avail of one free parking permit per household, but this can only be used for one of the parks.

In a 2021 consultation, a majority of respondents said they would not buy a permit for Kilbroney or Slieve Gullion.

The findings of the public consultation were presented to councillors later that year, but that document was "restricted," a council spokeswoman told BBC News NI.

It will be the first time there have been charges at Kilbroney Park and Slieve Gullion, which up until now have been free to enter.

Non-residents of the district will have to pay a daily parking rate, which will vary depending on the size of their vehicle.

Entering the parks in a family car for example will cost £5 per vehicle per visit for those without a discounted annual permit.

The council said charges would only apply to people who drove into the parks - pedestrians and cyclists can continue to access any of the four parks free of charge.

For frequent visitors, year-long parking permits will be available for a park of their choice. or for all four council parks for a higher fee.

A 'real shame' or a 'good idea'?

BBC News NI travelled to the council area on Thursday to gauge reaction to the announcement.

While welcoming the move, some residents expressed concerns about visitors parking outside the parks.

Collette Scott from Warrenpoint said she was surprised to hear about the plans.

"We hadn't heard or received much information that this was going to happen so initially I wasn't very pleased," she said.

Collette Scott said her "world will be a little smaller" as she will be charged to visit some of the parks

"I do like the fact that we can pick one park in the area and have a pass for that, but it does prevent or put you off going to other parks, especially if you have small children and already have a lot of costs to pay out."

Ms Scott said the plans would put her off going to other parks "because if you've got something on your doorstep and it's free you're going to use it".

"However every now and again you do love to visit other areas and try different walks. I think you will just stay in your own area a bit more.

"Our little world will be a little smaller I suppose in terms of where we go and visit and that would be a real shame."

Brian Heaphy from Rostrevor told BBC News NI he thought the plan was "quite a good idea, especially if it maintains the parks and helps improve them".

"I don't see why they shouldn't be able to charge. As long as it improves the facilities and it's spent properly then I don't have a problem with it.

Dog walker Brian Heaphy did not object to the new charges

"I'd say the issue would lie with people who travel to the park rather than local residents, who might have parking locally," he added.

"It'll probably create a problem at the weekends or bank holidays when people travel to use the facilities.

"They might tend to park outside the park and that will cause issues for the locals rather than the park itself."

Charlotte Shannon Young from Killowen said the plan would work for her because she always came to Kilbroney Park, where she could still get in for free if she applied for the pass.

"I presume most people would do the same as me and go to the closest one," she said.

Charlotte Shannon Young said people should not be put off from using public parks

However she emphasised that people should not be "put off coming to the parks" as for some "it's all the outdoor space they have".

Ms Young added that the change could result in visitors parking in the town or along the side of the road.

"That would probably be a bit of a danger because there's a primary school there and lots of kids playing," she said.

What are the new charges?

How much visitors pay depends on whether or not they are residents of the Newry, Mourne and Down Council area.

Households within the district are entitled to one parking permit for free entry into a park of their choice.

But they must choose only one of the four parks when they apply for permits.

Applicants must produce photographic ID, like a driving licence when collecting their permit from the car park office of the park they choose.

Daily entry charges for residents and non-residents without a permit:

• Motorbike - £3

• Car (up to seven seats) - £5

• Minibus (up to 24 seats) - £15

• Coach (25 seats or more) - £50

Charges for council residents with season permits:

• Single-park car permit - Free (one permit per household)

• All-park car permit - £25

• All-park minibus permit (8-24 seats) - £65

Non-resident season permits:

• Single-park car permit - £25

• All-park car permit - £60

• All-park minibus permit (8-24 seats) - £65

Newry, Mourne and Down Council said the revenue generated from the new parking permit scheme would be used for "the ongoing development and maintenance of these award-winning parks".

It said the four parks attracted "a substantial number of visitors per annum and an increasing number of visitors from outside the district".

It added that the sites played "an increasingly important role in driving economic development through tourism and of supporting local communities and businesses".

The permits will be in force until 31 March 2025 but the operation of the scheme will be reviewed in six months.

Analysis

By Cormac Campbell, BBC News NI south-east reporter

Kilbroney Park opens on to Rostrevor village in County Down

That Newry, Mourne and Down Council would be introducing a new charging structure for parking at some of its main parks has been on the horizon for some time.

In a way this issue dates back to the merger of two councils in 2015.

Every year the likes of Kilbroney Park and Slieve Gullion Forest Park, on the old Newry and Mourne side of the district, attract tens of thousands of visitors.

To date they have been free to park at - meaning a huge outlay for council with little on site income.

Some sources have said this makes the maintenance of facilities more challenging.

Charges were already in place in the old Down District area - where visitors to Delamont could either pay an annual fee or pay by visit. Charges were also in place in Castlewellan.

What is perhaps significant is that whilst Delamont and Slieve Gullion are set in remote areas, and Castlewellan is at the bottom of a very lengthy approach lane, Kilbroney Park sits square in the centre of Rostrevor village.

So as well as objection to the very concept of parking charges, many locals fear that more visitors will simply use up limited village parking and walk into the park for free.

Opposition to parking permits

Just over three years ago, Newry, Mourne and Down Council held a public consultation on proposals to introduce parking charges at its forest and country parks.

A total of 1,666 responses were received during the 12-week consultation which ran from 9 November 2020 to 31 January 2021.

Of those who took part in the exercise, more than two thirds (67%) said they would definitely not consider purchasing an annual car parking pass for Kilbroney Park.

For Slieve Gullion Forest Park, 59% of respondents said they would be opposed to buying a parking permit.

For Delamont, where parking charges are already in force, opposition to permits was much lower - only 28% said they would not consider buying a permit.

A council spokeswoman said the findings of the consultation were presented to elected members on 25 November 2021, but she said "this was a restricted document".

"Following further consultation with elected members the council made a decision to implement a scheme that offers one free carparking permit to each household for a council park of their choice," she added.

The council said the consultation results also showed that the most popular site among respondents was Kilbroney Park, with 1,120 respondents saying it was the site they visited most regularly.

Slieve Gullion was the second favourite with 453 saying it was the park they went to most, while Delamont was the favoured site of 81 of the respondents.

BBC News NI has requested the full results of the consultation.