Infrastructure Minister has announced that the
one-hour grace period for people parking in on-street spaces
within the Controlled Parking Zones in Newry and Lisburn will be
made permanent.
It means that drivers who have paid for on-street parking will
have up to one hour to return to their cars after their paid
parking period expires.
The one-hour grace period was initially introduced as a pilot in
late 2025 to provide greater flexibility for people visiting
local shops, cafés and other city centre businesses.
Minister Kimmins said: I am committed to doing all I can to
help support local businesses and encourage people to spend more
time on the high street. We have all been in the position where
we end up taking slightly longer than planned in one of our many
fantastic local shops or chatting with friends over a coffee or
lunch in a café or restaurant. I want people to have the
reassurance that they can take that extra time to browse or order
another coffee without the worry of having to rush back to their
car.
I introduced the pilot initiative while considering a longer-term
approach to on-street parking for Newry and Lisburn that would
help meet the needs of local communities, visitors and
businesses. During the pilot, more than 1,000 drivers availed of
the additional flexibility, while the arrangements continued to
support the effective flow of traffic. I am therefore pleased to
announce that effective immediately these arrangements will be
made permanent.
I encourage all visitors to Newry and Lisburn to continue
to park responsibly to ensure we have safer streets, better
access for disabled people, support for local businesses and a
transport system that works for everyone.
Eamonn Connolly from Newry Business Improvement District (BID)
said: "Newry BID has consistently called for measures that
make it easier for people to visit and spend time in our city
centre, so we very much welcome the extension of the one-hour
parking grace period. It is a positive step for businesses,
shoppers and the wider city. We would like to thank the Minister
for listening to the concerns of the business community and for
her continued support for our city centre."
Ruth Young, President of Lisburn Chamber of Commerce said: Every
extra minute a visitor spends in Lisburn without watching the
clock is good news for our traders. The grace period has made a
difference during the pilot, and making it permanent sends a
clear message that Lisburn is open, welcoming and easy to spend
time in. It's a step in the right direction, but there is more to
do for our city centre to compete on a truly level playing field
with other retail destinations across Northern Ireland. We thank
the Minister for listening to our business community and would
encourage her to keep building on this progress."
