Fresh call to introduce pay-parking in the centre of Thomastown - to help local businesses

Introducing parking charges in Thomastown would help local businesses, says one local councillor.

Cllr Michael Doyle specifically referred to Market Street where long-term parking is causing spaces there to be filled up.

There has been “significant disruption” in Thomastown over the last while because of different works and various businesses have contacted the local councillor to ask if there is any chance of bringing in paid parking, Cllr Doyle said at the April meeting of Callan Thomastown municipal district area councillors.

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Paid parking would encourage more short-term parking and so allow customers of the businesses to park close by to carry out their business.

The short stay area is not being used for that, the councillor said.

Cllr Doyle acknowledged pay-parking had been decided against for Thomastown in the past, but, he said, “we should take another look.”

He suggested Kilkenny County Council could provide a traffic warden ‘even for a half day.’

“If the traffic warden handed out a few fines there, some day over the next few weeks, the problem could go away,” Cllr Doyle predicted.

“Those businesses need a bit of help and if we can keep those parking spaces open to let customers get in and out it would be a help.” 

Area Engineer Declan Murphy said any changes to parking rules will have to be first addressed through new by-laws. Monitoring of pay-parking would then be down to resources and budgets, he added.

The matter needs to be discussed at council management level, he said.