Parking 'grace period' costs Stormont quarter of revenue

A parking discount scheme giving drivers in two cities an extra hour for free has cost Stormont more than a quarter of its revenue from fees.

The "grace period" for Lisburn and Newry's on-street spaces gives motorists an hour to return to their vehicles after their parking expires.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins described it as a "boost" for shoppers and traders, but public transport campaigners fear the discount will "incentivise" car travel.

The scheme has been extended by another six months after first being introduced for a trial period over Christmas.

Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible for on-street parking, with charges imposed in controlled parking zones (CPZs) in Belfast, Lisburn and Newry.

More than £4m in Stormont revenue was generated from CPZ parking charges in 2024-25.

The grace period was trialled in Lisburn and Newry for six weeks from late November to early January.

It cost more than £37,000 in lost revenue, according to a DfI response to a Freedom of Information request.

The figure was more than 27% of the department's parking fee revenue for Lisburn and Newry for the period, had the scheme not been implemented.

Kimmins had said the grace period would "give shoppers and traders a boost, offering greater flexibility for visitors while balancing the need to maintain an effective flow of traffic".

Extending the trial for a further six months, she said it would help "inform better what I do in the longer term".

"There are conflicting views as to the best approach, so it is important that we give that opportunity," she told the assembly earlier this month.

Fees for parking in CPZs were last increased in 2023, having remained unchanged since 2017. To park for an hour, the price is £1 in Lisburn and 80p in Newry.

Public transport fares were increased three times between March 2023 and June 2024.

Anne Madden from the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust charity said it would "make more sense to better support public transport".

"All this scheme does is incentivise more car travel, putting pressure on our roads, and reduces government revenue that could be invested in greener public transport and active travel," she said.

The figures emerge amid concerns of delays to extending the Glider bus service to north and south Belfast after the minister said the plans would not be completed until 2033.

Belfast Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn said: "We should be investing in affordable, reliable public transport - not doubling down on policies that encourage more car use in our already deeply congested towns and cities.

"If we are serious about tackling congestion, cutting emissions and supporting sustainable town centres, our funding decisions need to reflect that."

Business representatives welcomed the parking discount extension while also expressing support for public transport.

Ruth Young, president of Lisburn Chamber of Commerce, said the parking scheme was a "recognition that our retailers and hospitality venues need support to be competitive".

"Ultimately, we want our city centre to thrive through a balanced approach that supports all transport users and ensures fairness across Northern Ireland," she said.

Eamonn Connolly, from Newry Business Improvement District, said the CPZs were "not a fair system" and "their removal is overdue".

"We support public transport but that is an entirely different issue than addressing an existing inequitable system that actively damages Newry and Lisburn centres," he added.

In a statement DfI said it would "continue to monitor impacts carefully" of the grace period scheme, "including turnover of spaces and revenue".

It said the minister chose to "freeze" public transport fares during this financial year "in the context of the previous increases".

The department added that public transport operator Translink offers "a number of discounted and promotional fares" and over-60s can travel for free.