Residents and businesses in one of Co Down’s most picturesque villages are up in arms over the local council’s plans to introduce car parking charges at a popular beauty spot.
From March 4, Newry, Mourne and Down Council will charge for entrance at four country parks across the district, including Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor.
The local authority is introducing similar charges at Castlewellan Forest Park, Slieve Gullion Forest Park and Delamont Country Park, near Killyleagh.
A parking permit scheme is being launched, whereby households in the district can secure a ‘single-park permit’, granting free car entry into one of the four parks, while entry to the three remaining parks will require the purchase of a £25 resident ‘all-park permit’.
The council, which plans to spend upwards of £50m on a controversial cable car on the slopes of Slieve Donard, said its parks “attract a substantial number of visitors per annum and an increasing number of visitors from outside the district”.
“All four parks play an increasingly important role in driving economic development through tourism and of supporting local communities and businesses,” a statement said.
“It is important that residents can continue to access their local park, which is why it was important for the council to introduce a permit scheme.”
It said the revenue generated through charging will “be used for the ongoing development and maintenance of these award-winning parks”.
A councillor has criticised the charging policy, while the Warrenpoint Burren and Rostrevor Chamber said it was “deeply concerned” by the introduction of parking charges, which it claimed “poses a significant threat to our local economy and the vibrancy of our community”.
In a statement, the business body said the decision “disregards the overwhelming public opinion”.
“In 2022, a consultation with the community revealed a striking opposition to the idea of parking charges, with 75% (1,251 out of 1,666 respondents) expressing that they would ‘definitely not’ or ‘probably not’ consider purchasing a discounted annual pass for car parking,” the chamber said.
“Despite this clear mandate from the community, our council has chosen to move forward with implementing these charges.”
One local resident has set up an online petition opposing the council’s plans.
Preserve Free Access to Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/CgSxZXCFIi via @UKChange
— Dean Mac Cú Uladh (@Dmcc115) February 23, 2024
Monetising access to Kilbroney will adversely affect working class and disenfranchised communities the most. Nature is not a commodity, sign the petition!
Croatlieve independent representative Mark Gibbons said he had been opposed to parking charges at Kilbroney “from the day and hour I became a councillor”.
“A park should be free for everyone: for helping with mental health, exercise, connecting with nature, meeting friends and family, the list goes on and the benefits are endless,” he said.
“Every council-owned park should be free of charge.”
Mr Gibbons also highlighted the public consultation, which he said showed residents “overwhelmingly objected to this proposal”.
