Work begins to ban motor homes from accessing car parks

Work begins to ban motor homes from accessing car parks

20 March 2019

WORK started yesterday morning on a scheme to ban mobile motorhomes from two of Newcastle’s most popular car parks.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council is erecting overhead barriers at the Downs Road and Glen River parks in the resort which command spectacular views of the Mournes and Dundrum Bay.

In a bid to placate motorhome owners and meet their needs, the local authority has agreed to provide a dedicated parking area for their vehicles at Castle Park.

The move to erect the barriers is designed to address increasing concern about the number of motorhome owners eating up valuable spaces that could instead be used by residents and visitors.

Council officials did examine the possibility of providing dedicated motorhome spaces at the Islands Park car park and Donard Park, but these locations were subsequently ruled out.

The new barriers have been specially designed and will feature a silhouette of the Mournes along the top and while they will be locked, keys will be issued to the emergency services, local Coastguard and local authority cleansing and maintenance crews.

Councillors have welcomed the recommendation to ban motorhomes from the two car parks, but say they recognise the importance of catering for their needs with the new spaces created elsewhere in the town.

Over recent months, councillors made it clear that good quality barriers were required to complement the seafront, following the multi-million pound investment to upgrade the resort’s promenade and streetscape.

They are also pleased that dedicated parking will still be available for motorhome owners visiting Newcastle as they play a key role in supporting the resort’s tourism economy. 

Councillors say it was important that Newcastle and the wider region remain a welcoming place for motorhome owners and are pleased that the barriers are being erected in time for the busy summer season when parking spaces in Newcastle are a premium. 

Concern had been expressed locally that due to the size of the motorhomes, they were taking up valuable spaces that could be used by other vehicles, with motorhome owners parking their vehicles for long periods, including overnight.

It was hoped the overhead barriers would have been erected sooner, but there was a delay in agreeing their design to ensure they complemented the resort’s aesthetics and did not look industrial and out of place.

Work to erect the barriers at the entrance to the Downs Road and Glen River parks is expected to take several days to complete, with the barriers in place ahead of the Easter holidays.

Newcastle area councillors insist that the local authority wants to welcome motorhomes to the district and are confident that the new barriers will address key concerns around irresponsible motorhome parking and the length of time the vehicles were parking in the centre of the town.

It is understood that the new motorhome spaces being created at Castle Park will allow motorhome owners to stay overnight.