Parking in Enniskillen

I have just read in our local paper that Fermanagh & Omagh District Council have given the go ahead to employ traffic attendants to enforce the off street Car Parking Order within the Council's free car parks in Enniskillen. Apparently the Council have received a number of complaints from caravan site owners. It's ok to park and shop but not to stay overnight, surprise surprise. I know a lot of businesses do not agree with this policy, but the greedy costly campsites have won again!

Dear Sir, - I am writing in regard to the letter of complaint sent to your paper by Henry and Thomas Cunningham in relation to the illegal parking of their motorhome at the Lakeland Forum car park. As a business person and tax payer I do not pay taxes and rates to provide free accommodation for caravan and motorhome dwellers. As a trading business I welcome all visitors and tourists to Fermanagh, but I can assure you that persons who intend on parking their motor homes for free anywhere they please are no benefit to the businesses of the county.


Firstly there is no shortage of caravan parks in Fermanagh to provide fully licensed and excellent facilities from as little as £16 per night for these people. With an average of at least two people in each of these motor homes that is only £8 per night per person. Your average person who saves hard to pay for their holiday anywhere else will pay a minimum of £40 per night per person for a hotel room. Why should others pay for accommodation only for these people to be given it for free?

Secondly many of these illegal overnight parkers like to argue that they bring so much money to the county. Many business owners invest large sums of money each year into the organisation and sponsorship of festivals and events to attract tourists to the county. A large majority of these businesses are accommodation providers who invest this money to attract visitors to their business. It hardly makes financial sense for a business to invest in these festivals and events only for these people to park for free and not spend any money with these businesses. This was the case recently at the Irvinestown Lady of the Lake Festival where there were more than five motor homes parked for over a week in the town car park so that they could enjoy the festival. Do any of these campers realise that a large portion of sponsorship for this festival comes from local accommodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks? I think that if I was counting on the money brought to the county by these illegal parkers I would have been closed many years ago.


The issue of illegal overnight stays is one that is ongoing and one which is long overdue being addressed. Every other person is fined £30 for parking somewhere 15 minutes longer than they were supposed to yet it appears to be acceptable that a motorhome pulls up, parks across two spaces and stays all night and pays for nothing. I think the time has come for a strict clampdown on this illegal activity.

Instead of clamping down on illegal overnight parking it now appears that Fermanagh District Council want to offer a compromise to accommodate the needs of everyone and provide electric meters in car parks for caravans and motor homes. It seems that addressing the issue of illegal overnight stays interprets to rewarding these people who want cheap accommodation at taxpayers’ expense. I feel it unfair that the average motorist in Fermanagh be fined for parking inappropriately and your average motorhome user be rewarded with new facilities for parking illegally.

More worrying is the fact that there are already over 400 touring caravan/motor home pitches in Fermanagh offering these caravans and motor homes excellent facilities from just £16 per night at no expense to the tax payer. The illegal overnight parkers say they have nowhere to go, but really they have plenty of places to go but they just don’t want to pay for them like your average person would. I think the message is clear to all illegal overnight parkers, pay for the services you want like everyone else. Don’t expect the council to provide competition to the caravan parks in the county who pay their rates and taxes.


Yours faithfully, DISGRUNTLED BUSINESS PERSON AND TAX PAYER

Copied from the impartial reporter from 2010.

That seems like a sensible way to go.It would be interesting to know what has "provoked" such an
Antagonistic attitude from the site owner?
We have parked in Enniskillen for many years with no problem,but have always tried to park away from the warning signs.
That has become more difficult and maybe an approach to the council from as many motorhome bodies as possible would be useful?
I seem to remember that newspaper article and another letter reporting thst the site owner had a direct
Contact with the council.( As a councillor maybe?)
When the sign was put up at the parking beside the bus station ,the absurb thing is that I am now welcomed
To "park" my boat for a Few nights on the river side of the pontoon (the broad meadow", __but banned
From overnighting in my motorhome on the carpark side!!! _hard to see the logic.
The boycott approach is probably non productive.
There is of course the wee problem that was created by motorhomers, who have on occasion parked
Sideways across a few parking bays (also happened at Bellanaleck ).this is probably a thing of the past,but may need to be acknowledged as having happened.(if there are negotiations).
that the council have helped to fund excellent pontoons in the town with FREE boat parking only adds to the absurd situation.

I saw a Motorhome parked at the Castle this weekend, I think there is a bit of scaremongering going on. The country cousins have been parked around the town this last few days in places that are not even car parks. It's a pity to give in to the Council scaremongering, it will probably blow over, and I know for a fact that the shops are not pleased at the action of the Councillors