A multi-storey car park, an issue which was hotly debated at this month's meeting of Fermanagh District Council, is almost certain to feature in an application, sought by the Townhall, of tenders for a Traffic Management Plan for Enniskillen that would include car parking considerations.
Early next month, former Fermanagh DUP Councillor, Arlene Foster, MLA, who is Minister for the Environment, is to meet the Roads Minister about the current car-parking crisis in the town. She told fellow MLA's in an Assembly debate on car-parking in the county town that the shortage of car parking spaces had become something that was talked about in Fermanagh 'as frequently as people talk about the weather'.
The tender also seeks an outline scheme design for an environmental improvement scheme for Enniskillen's main thoroughfare.
Tomorrow ( Thursday), a special meeting of the Council's Development Committee to which Roads Service personnel will be attending, will raise the need for multi-storey car parks in Enniskillen.
The Roads Service delegation will be led by Pat Doherty, the Divisional Manager for Western region. She will be told by Erne West Councillor, Bernice Swift that multi-storey car parks were no longer a necessity, they were a 'must'.
Speaking to the 'Herald' this week, Councillor Swift submitted that the recently announced Investment Delivery Plan (IDP) identified Roads Service capital investment priorities over the next 10 years with sums of money, 'which, when read quickly, can seem both encouraging and impressive'.
She went on: "However, I feel Roads Service still have to face significant challenges and meet the demands for priority improvements in Fermanagh right now. Politicians bear the responsibility for this situation and I for one will continue to work on these points, ensuring the message is adhered to by the Minister that this service be delivered to the people of Fermanagh. It is both right and necessary to revamp a declining economy which affects everyone".
In an advert placed in this paper last week, Fermanagh Council invited applications from suitably qualified and experienced consultancy teams to prepare an outline design scheme, and costings, for an Environmental Improvement Scheme centred on the main thoroughfare of Enniskillen, and the incorporation of that outline in an economic appraisal.
The second part of the brief requested is the preparation of a Traffic Management Plan for the town of Enniskillen, including car parking considerations.
The closing date for applications is Friday, 13th June this year.
A spokesman for the Townhall told the 'Herald' that car-parks alone were not the answer to Enniskillen's problems.
"The solution is a proper strategic management plan for traffic in Enniskillen. This is what needs to be done, for instance, what traffic should be kept out of Enniskillen and, if they are on the 'island', what's the best way to have traffic management and how we're going to deal with the particular need to encourage more people into the centre of the town.
"Really, what it means is to provide adequate car-parking facilities in the centre of the town and, central to that, is a multi-storey car park".
The spokesman explained that the current situation is that the Roads service doesn't have the legislation enabling it to provide multi-storey car parks.
"So, we need to find some way that allows a process that we will have multi-storey car parks on land which is presently owned by the Roads Service. Surely, the best way to ensure that this does work is for District Councils to take responsibility for car-parking, allowing Councils to find out the best way to develop car-parks, and which car parks should be developed".
He suggested there was no body better placed than local government to do this, given the members' knowledge of their own towns and villages.
The spokesman aid Fermanagh Council was delighted to have secured the support of the Department for Social Development to meet the costs of carrying out a survey in the form of a questionnaire, copies of which are now available from the Townhall's Leisure Tourism and Arts Department.
Meanwhile, local DUP Assembly member and DoE Minister, Arlene Foster has confirmed that she is to meet the Roads Minister, Conor Murphy early next month about the car-parking crisis in Enniskillen.
She was speaking to a motion tabled by SDLP MLA, in which she stated that car parking had become angst for workers, tourists and shoppers alike.
"Enniskillen's shortage of car parking spaces has become something that is talked about in Fermanagh as frequently as people talk about the weather!", she suggested.
