Alliance MLA David Honeyford said that the figures show many people aren’t aware of the changes
Only 274 people availed of an extended grace period when parking on-street in Lisburn City Centre over five months during a pilot scheme which was extended earlier this month.
In early July, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins confirmed that drivers in Newry and Lisburn who have paid for on-street parking will continue to have up to one hour to return to their cars after their paid parking period expires.
The one-hour grace period was initially introduced as a pilot in late 2025 to provide greater flexibility for people visiting local shops, cafés, and other city centre businesses. During this pilot scheme, more than 1,000 drivers availed of the extra flexibility it provided.
In her response to a written Assembly question from Alliance Lagan Valley MLA David Honeford, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins confirmed that between 8 December 2025 and 30 May 2026, 274 motorists in Lisburn availed of the extended grace period, with 898 in Newry over the same timeframe.
Responding to Mr Honeyford, the Minister said: “Throughout the course of the initial pilot, officials engaged with a range of relevant stakeholders to gather qualitative insights across local communities and businesses. While the feedback received was generally positive, officials were advised that some were not aware of the pilot.
“In response, a number of targeted communication measures were implemented, including the development and installation of informative stickers on all pay and display machines across Lisburn and Newry, and the introduction of messaging on the JustPark app.
“Traffic Attendants do not record vehicles that are parked in compliance with Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) restrictions; they only log instances where no valid Pay and Display ticket is displayed, before issuing a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Consequently, comparable data for parking numbers during the pilot and in previous years is not available.”
The Minister also confirmed that enforcement data indicates a modest reduction in PCNs, falling from 3,274 to 3,119, largely due to fewer fines being handed out after expiry of paid time at a pay and display bay.
She added: “Operational observations also indicate that motorists were aware of the pilot and did avail of the extended grace period, resulting in a change in parking behaviour in both cities through improvements in compliance.”
Mr Honeford said: “This is a really positive initiative that gives people more time to shop, grab a coffee or support local businesses in Lisburn. But when only 274 motorists have used it over six months, we have to ask why.
“The problem is simple. There is no clear signage on the streets or parking machines, and the app doesn’t clearly show people their return time.
“Good ideas only work if people know about them. I’ve written to the Minister asking for better signage and improvements to the app so people can actually benefit from this change.
“We need to move beyond making announcements and make sure policies are properly implemented so they make a real difference for people and for our local businesses.”
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