Paid parking stifling business, chamber warns local council

Kells is caught in a vicious circle where parking charges are stifling business in the town, in turn reducing revenue generated by rates and parking charges, according to Kells Chamber of Commerce. In a letter to Kells Town Council, the chamber said members firmly believed that they are getting caught in a vicious circle. "If the situation in relation to parking isn't addressed to attract shoppers to Kells, more businesses will be forced to close, leading to less of a retail offer in the town, meaning more businesses will close, less shoppers coming to Kells paying less in parking, and ultimately a decrease in revenue generated by rates," the letter states. The letter asks that the council give serious and immediate consideration to the problem that paid parking is posing to the future of the retailers in Kells. "There are numerous reports of people being turned off coming to Kells because of paid parking, and there are other reports of annoyed and disappointed visitors leaving our town having received parking fines," it added. "Retailers have reported a serious downturn in business. The reasons for this are threefold: the ongoing recession, the possible effects of the bypass, but it is without doubt that the greatest problem identified by the retailers is paid parking." "This summer, it is fully expected that this situation will worsen, what with the water main upgrade works, the installation of the gas line, and potentially the works at Headfort Place all taking their toll on an already dwindling shopping base," the Chamber of Commerce warned. The chamber says it fully understands that the town council depends heavily on the revenue gathered from parking as a means to fund the running of the town, and that if this income is reduced, the shortfall must be made up in other ways. However, the chamber asked if they could, as a team, look at ways of making up this shortfall without incurring the loss of jobs, stressing that members understand the situation cannot be changed in the immediate term. "Kells is our home. We raise our kids here, we work here, we want to see our town develop, we want jobs and we want to eventually and hopefully see the return of genuine prosperity to our streets. However, if we as a team - the retailers, the chamber and you, our elected representatives - don't address this problem immediately, then we will simply have a empty town," the letter concludes.