Douglas Council ‘can’t afford’ to keep free parking

Douglas Council says it can’t afford to keep free parking in the town centre because it needs to pay the government rent.

The authority operates Drumgold Street and Chester Street car parks for the Department of Infrastructure for £1.3 million a year.

In a statement, council leader David Christian said ‘it is not for our ratepayers to subsidise car parking for island-wide users’.

However, 100 business based in the capital have urged the council to reconsider the move.

Parking charges were reintroduced at Shaw’s Brow, the Bottleneck, Drumgold Street and Chester street this week.

It comes after almost three months of free parking in the capital during lockdown.

The council applied for a rebate of the operator’s licence as this would have allowed them to continue offering free parking until later this year.

This request however, was rejected by DoI.

Parking in Douglas has been limited by the closing of the promenade walkway to vehicles and the handover of the Lord Street bus station site.

‘Suspending parking charges was only ever going to be an exceptional short-term measure in response to exceptional times’ Mr Christian said.

However, free parking is ‘an unsustainable financial model’, which he said could have ‘a negative effect’ on the council’s ability to deliver ‘vital public services.’

‘We recognise that reintroducing the charges would not be met with universal approval.’

Andy Corrie, who represents the Island’s retail sector at the Chamber of Commerce, has written a letter on behalf of 100 Douglas businesses in support of free parking.

In it, Mr Corrie asked the council to reconsider the decision because ‘it’s an added discouragement’ to shoppers.

‘Douglas is struggling, the place is a building site’ he said.

‘I’m not saying it’s a miracle cure, but can be mutually beneficial to both retailers and those looking to shop in Douglas.

As a part of the ‘recovery process’ following the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Corrie said he felt ‘duty bound to get the conversation started’ following what he describes as ‘a big outcry from retailers of this additional pain.’