To ask the Minister for Regional Development (i) to outline the rationale for the introduction of charges in off-street car parks on Sundays in the Coleraine area from December; (ii) what impact this will have on traders in the town centre; and (iii) how many town centre car parks will be included in this scheme.

A number of years ago, at the request of the then Coleraine Town Centre Partnership, my Department introduced a small charge to park in the two main town centre car parks in Coleraine, at Abbey Street and The Mall, on the Sundays leading up to Christmas. This step was taken in an effort to better manage the use of the car parks, discouraging all day parkers and leaving these spaces closest to the town centre available for shoppers. This charging on Sundays leading up to Christmas has been in operation each year since 2006.

The five remaining town centre car parks in Coleraine will still be free on Sundays and during normal charging hours, all the car parks will allow 5 hours parking for the reduced rate of £1.

My Department, in conjunction with the Council, is supporting the free ‘Park & Ride’ facility on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas and additional car park information signage has been introduced.

I am confident that the various measures, as outlined above, will provide a welcome boost for traders in Coleraine and encourage the public to continue to support their local economy and to shop local.