'We'll take the fall' for officers' failure to carry out Ballycastle car park charges consultation, says Causeway councillor

It follows a report on Environmental Services Management Accounts and Financial Positions for Period 3 of 2024/25, which was presented to members at an Environmental Services Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 10.

Director of Environmental Services, Aidan McPeake, said that a planned public consultation on potential parking charges in Ballycastle over the summer, which was approved by members in May in the hope that charge could be applied over this summer, had not yet been carried out by the council.

DUP Alderman Mark Fielding said he was “gobsmacked” that the consultation hadn’t taken place after four months.

“That’s embarrassing,” he said. “When we introduced car parking charges in Portrush there was no consultation, but some parties insisted there was a consultation [for Ballycastle] away before the summer.

“Now we’re being told there was no consultation took place. That’s a shambles.”

Mr McPeake said the council had run into difficulties finalising which type of consultation to be used, and there were concerns about carrying it out over the summer and therefore “not getting appropriate feedback”.

DUP Alderman John McAuley agreed the delay was a shambles and asked Mr McPeake if he believed the timescale was acceptable.

“I’m not happy with the timescale,” Mr McPeake conceded. “We were never going to achieve it in the earlier position because of the seasonal element of it. But that’s not to take away from the fact that the consultation should have been out at this stage.”

Alderman McAuley added: “Whatever the outcome it’s the people in this chamber that’ll take the fall for it, and we can’t be used as political cover whenever it’s suits you.

“We’re reporting a financial deficit, you’ve said yourself why the financial deficit’s there, and it’ll not be long before we will be held accountable by the public for the financial situation come rates setting.

“It’s just a disgrace. We are sitting here four months down the line on a public consultation and your response has just been totally unacceptable, it’s embarrassing.”

McPeake concluded: “I accept responsibility for not getting this out in more timely manner and I apologise the members for that. We’ll get it out as quick as we can.”