AQO 4317/11-15

Mr Gregory Campbell
Democratic Unionist Party
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 06/06/2013
Answered On Date: 18/06/2013
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Regional Development how many Penalty Charge Notices were issued in the towns of Coleraine, Limavady, Portstewart, Portrush and Dungiven, in each of the last two years.

Answer:

Mr Speaker, rather than read out a long list of numbers, I have placed the details in the Library.

In terms of the detail, I would highlight that parking control is important to help reduce congestion, improve road safety and improve access to town centres. My Department’s parking policy is fundamentally about ensuring a turnover of spaces, and thus freeing up available spaces for shoppers and visitors which would otherwise be blocked by all day parkers. Such an approach is important to the viability of towns as shopping locations.

We are being successful – the numbers of PCNs issued across Northern Ireland in 2012/13 have reduced by 16,526 which represents a decrease of some 13% from the previous year. The figures for Limavady, Portstewart and Portrush reflect this decrease in PCN numbers. While Coleraine figures show an increase in the number of PCNs due to the addition of 610 new Pay and Display spaces in 2012-13, on a like for like basis, not including the impact of these additional spaces, the position for Coleraine is a 22% decrease for 2012-13.