Call to close car park during major reconstruction work

A LISBURN man has said the car park at Smithfield Square, which is currently undergoing improvement work, should be closed whilst the area remains "a construction site."

Jim Gray said people are receiving tickets for parking in the area, which has interweaving lines due to the temporary relining of the area, meaning motorists do not know whether they are parked in a space correctly or not.

Mr Gray says the car park at the site of the former bus station should be either made free to use or closed until work is complete, as people choosing to park there are being charged for their stay, yet are at serious risk of being fined.

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Mr Gray said: "The car park at Smithfield Square is a disgrace. The machine taking money for parking should be decommissioned. The area is now a construction site and yet people are having to pay to park there.

"In my opinion it is not a car park until the work is finished. If people want to park there they should be allowed to do so for free. At the moment people are parking in different areas, nobody knows which line belongs to which space and they are running the risk of getting a parking ticket."

A Roads Service spokeswoman said: "The scheme involves the reconfiguration of the car park layout to incorporate the old bus station area, and improvements to the surrounding footways and junction.

"The car park has been temporarily relined as work has progressed, is still in operation and providing a significant service to the city centre. There are no plans to cancel charging during construction.

"The works are ongoing and due to the complexity will take some time to complete. However every effort is being made to complete the works as quickly as practical."

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