Navan cllrs to vote on free Christmas parking

Councillors in Navan are expected to vote to provide free parking in the town on Saturday 10th December and during all of Christmas week from 17th to 24th December, in a bid to boost the retail trade in the town this Christmas. Cllr Francis Deane has put forward a notice of motion to Navan Town Council calling for the provision of free parking, which he said he expects will receive unanimous support from his fellow councillors. He said this would be the third year in which free parking is introduced to boost the local Christmas trade. He urged the people of Navan and surrounding areas to shop local, buy Irish-made goods and keep jobs at home. His proposal is to provide free parking between 11am and 6pm on Saturday 10th December, as well as during the week before Christmas. He pointed out that most retail businesses take in 35 per cent of their turnover in December and that retail sales this year are down 4.5 per cent. He added that there were now 11 vacant units on Trimgate Street alone. Cllr Deane said they had to find solutions to increase footfall on the streets of Navan and boost consumer spending. He added that feedback from previous campaigns involving the provision of free parking had been very positive.