A long awaited residents’ parking scheme in the Bogside of Derry has been placed in limbo due to ‘funding pressures’ and the ongoing crisis at Stormont, it has emerged.
A formal consultation on a pilot residents' parking scheme at Rossville Street had been due to commence in April of this year, which would had signalled the first step in the process of rolling out the scheme.
The matter had been raised at the monthly meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council, at which independent councillor Sean Carr asked for an update on the scheme.
He told the meeting the problems associated with car parking in the Bogside was now worse than it had ever been and residents were growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of parking availability outside their homes.
“We’re running out of footpaths,” he said.
A council officer said they would bring an update back to council on the matter.
However, the DRD have now confirmed that a consultation on the residents’ parking scheme was not initiated prior to the resignation of the former Transport Minister, UUP MLA Danny Kenny, after his party walked out of the Stormont Executive in August.
The consultation will now have to be put before the new DRD Minister, once they are in place.
The DRD have also revealed that that they are facing ‘funding pressures’ in relation to the scheme.
The spokesperson said: “The Department has been seeking to progress Rossville Street Residents’ Parking scheme.
“Whilst many of the necessary preparations have been made ahead of formal consultation on the scheme, the Department faces funding pressures.”
The spokesperson added: “The formal consultation was not initiated prior to the outgoing Minister’s resignation, and the issue will now be put before the new DRD Minister.”