No return of 15 minutes free parking on High Street in Kilkenny
Traders had called for 15 minutes of free parking
Fifteen minutes free parking has been reinstated in pay and displays areas and in council carparks in Kilkenny City but will not include parking on High Street.
The free parking, which has been widely welcomed was re-introduced on September 2. Traders were calling for the return of 15 minutes of free parking, which was removed last year when members of the Kilkenny Municipal District voted in favour of a raft of changes to parking charges.
City engineer, Ian Gardner told the Kilkenny People that an amendment to the parking byelaws would be needed if a 15 minute period on High Street was to be put in place.
"15 minutes free parking has been reinstated in pay and display areas. The High Street is not a pay and display area as it only contains loading bays and accessible bays.
"When the 15 minutes free parking was introduced on High Street previously it was meant to be followed up with an amendment to the Parking Bye Laws to formalise it but this did not happen. If it is intended to provide 15 minutes free parking on High Street then a statutory process including public consultation will be required to legally facilitate this," he added.