Council have attained a £30K grant from the Department for Communities to install a Secure Ticked Parking Zone for Leisure Centre Disabled Parking Spaces.
Eighteen Disabled Parking Places at Newry Leisure Centre are to become secure ticketed parking zones and Newry City. Newry City Councillor, Cllr Roisin Mulgrew welcoming the initiative said "It is regrettable that many of our less abled members who regularly attend the Newry Leisure and Swimming facilities in Newry arrive to find their designated parking has been filled by able bodied drivers.
After extensive consultation with Disability Action NI and taking on board the anger and frustration of blue badge holders, the council applied for grant aid to address the issue. We have been successful and granted full funding of £30k from the Department for Communities (DfC) to install a barrier and one way system for 18 disabled parking spaces".
The Councillor continued "The system will work similarly to carparks within shopping centres, while it is free, users will have to show their blue badge at reception in order to validate their parking in a disabled parking zone.
A further 19 disabled spaces will remain outside the secured zone, some of these will be beside the new secure zone and the remainder beside Jennings park to be used for those wishing to watch football being played on the pitch".
Councillor Mulgrew concluded "Work to the parking zone is due to start in the next 2-3 weeks and will hopefully be completed before the Lesuire centre reopens".
