Reduced parking capacity in city centre
20 May 2024
Members of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Business and Culture Committee were today informed of reduced parking capacity in Derry’s City Centre to accommodate planned major infrastructure works and public realm schemes.
Council is currently responsible for DRD off street car parks including their management and enforcement. There are currently 29 off-street car parks across the City and District, of which 15 are charged and 14 are free of charge car parks. The city centre is served by 12 car parks, 11 are charged and one is free of charge. The city centre car parks comprise 795 parking spaces and 24 disabled bays.
There are a number of planned schemes in the city centre which require either the temporary closure or reduced parking capacity in four of Council’s off-street car parks. They include the following –
- Simpson’s Brae, 14 bays full closure for site compound works associated with Kingdom Hall renovation works until end of May 2024.
- Foyle Street Car park, 54 bays full closure to facilitate phased NI Water upgrade scheme until late 2025.
- Victoria Market Car Park, 28 bays reduced capacity to facilitate essential maintenance of the Wastewater pumping station for a 19 week period, dates and timelines to be agreed.
- Bishop Street Car Park, 20 bays reduced capacity to facilitate satellite compound for the Inner Walled City Public Realm Scheme from 01 July 2024 to 31 December 2025.
- Society Street Car Park 21 bays full closure to allow the upgrade of the car park under the Inner Walled City Public Realm Scheme, dates for this have yet to be finalised.
Elected members attending the meeting were advised that while there will be some disruption to the public, these are major infrastructure schemes will be benefitting and enhancing the city and district. The schemes will result in 13.58% reduced car parking capacity in the city centre of 108 parking spaces from July 2024 as a result of the closure of Foyle Street car park and reduced capacity in Bishop Street and Victoria Market, overall 13.58%, which will increase to 16% reduction in capacity next summer with 129 bays not available. It is anticipated that all schemes will be completed by December 2025.
The NI Water Scheme and Inner Walled City Public Realm Scheme have involved ongoing stakeholder communications including dedicated briefings. The reconfiguration of Foyle Street Car park to house temporary bus stands is fundamental to maintaining bus services. It was outlined at the meeting that users of the car parks are being directed to alternative car parks servicing the city centre for the duration of the above schemes and that it is hoped that reduced parking capacity may encourage citizens to use sustainable modes of transport and reduce use of cars.
More information on carparking across the City and District is available at https://www.derrystrabane.com/subsites/car-parking-services