Sunday free parking scrapped by Douglas Council at three sites

Parking on Sundays has been free at Chester Street car park since 2015

Free parking at three car parks in Douglas on Sundays is to be scrapped.

From 1 April, it will cost £2 to park in the Chester Street and Shaw's Brow multi-storeys or at the Bottleneck car park on the promenade.

Douglas Borough Council believes the move will generate additional income of about £29,000 per year.

But Councillor Elizabeth Quirk said she was "totally against" the decision, suggesting it would deter families from visiting the Manx capital on Sundays.

"I think we as the council should be responsible to encourage people to into the town, and this I think will discourage some of them," she said.

Her attempt to the scrap the proposed charge was thrown out by members after council leader David Christian said rates would otherwise have to rise by 3.6% in 2019-20 rather than by 3.3%.

Mr Christian said: "Although those car parks are free it doesn't really encourage people to come in on a Sunday and shop."

Mr Christian said Sunday charges had always applied at a third council-run multi-storey car park on Drumgold Street, and charges had been in place on Sundays at the Chester Street facility until 2015.